Death Island
by Boadicia
Summary: This is a stand alone offshoot of my original universe series starting with Dirty Halo. Dante and Lilith crash land on an island where the natives are led, and terrorized, by an impostor who claims to be the son of Sparda.
1. Leviathan

Leviathan

The Mediterranean Sea was calm in the receding daylight. A gentle seabreeze stirred minor waves across the water. The sky turned dark blue as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon.

Two large white eyes opened just beneath the surface of the water. Cat pupils widened in the darkness as the head breached the waves. A serpentine body slithered from side to side as the creature swam across the surface like a sea snake. As it swam, patches of its skin sloughed into the water. Wherever the patches landed, they began to take various indistinct forms.

The water beast raised its head as if to listen to something. The sound of jet engines grew louder from the north. The water beast waited until it saw the charter plane's lights. As if obeying an instinct, the water beast, and its floating patches of skin, followed the plane south towards an unknown island.

(X)

Lilith slouched back in her chair as incoherent images flashed through her brain. Music softly played into her ears as she tried in vain to understand what she was seeing. She unconsciously gripped the edge of the armrest as she felt something clamp across her torso. It felt as if something were trying to bite her in half. She heard a screech and glimpsed a red splash of what could have been blood. She finally gasped and awoke when she felt something soft rub against her face. By reflex, her hand reached out to snatch whatever it was. Instead, she found herself squeezing someone's wrist.

"Bad dream?" Dante asked.

"Depends on how you look at it." Lilith released his arm and accepted the tissue dangling between his fingers. She stoically noted that it was covered with bloody streaks. She ran her hand across the skin under her eyes. When she pulled her fingers back, blood ran from the tips to her palm. "It wasn't so bad this time."

Dante showed absolutely no concern. He sat in the chair on the opposite aisle. "Did you see anything?"

"Nothing that made any sense. Then again, it rarely does." Lilith used the tissue to clean her face. "Where are we?"

"Headed south over the Mediterranean," the pilot called from the charter jet's cockpit.

Dante watched Lilith slowly frown. "You did see something," he accused.

Lilith unconsciously shook her head. "I remember something about water, but it was too vague."

As if he hadn't heard her, Dante stood to return to the cockpit. Lilith leaned over to stare out the window. There was only a thin streak of light on the horizon where the sun had been less than an hour before. An uneasiness settled onto Lilith's chest as she glanced down at the sea below.

"There's something down there," she whispered before realizing what she was saying. She sat up as she saw a thin black stream in the dark blue water. It swayed back and forth as if swimming after the jet. She felt a lump sink into her stomach as she slowly stood. "Dad!" she called. "There's something down there!"

She was sure Dante heard her, so she assumed he deliberately wasn't listening when he didn't respond. She watched the water serpent continue chasing them for a few minutes before noticing the dark patches following it. Some of the patches took the forms of gargoyles and burst forth from the water. Lilith backed into the aisle and turned as if to approach the cockpit. Dante was already standing there to block her way. A single drop of blood fell from his left eye.

"Nervous?" he asked.

Lilith ignored the question. "What about the pilot?"

"I'll take care of him. Just worry about yourself."

Lilith was silent for a moment as if counting mentally. "What if . . ?"

Before she could finish the question, a shockwave blew the fuselage open. The whole plane split in half as if a giant knife had cut upwards through the floor. A powerful gust blasted her into open air. She got a quick glimpse of the moon before going into freefall.

Lilith fell towards the sea headfirst. More to her amusement than surprise, a pitch black winged gargoyle flew upwards towards her with the Yamato in hand.

"Thief," Lilith muttered as she transformed in midair. The gargoyle hesitated for a moment. She kept all six wings close to her back to continue the freefall. A ball of lightning burst to life in her right hand as she got closer. The lightning brought the gargoyle out of its daze in time to swing the Yamato at her as she fell past him.

Lilith threw a stream of lightning at the gargoyle as it swung the sword. The gargoyle was fast enough to notice the blade passed right through her without leaving a single mark of injury. The lightning ripped a hole through its chest before its torso exploded from the energy surge. Lilith caught the Yamato and opened her wings to slow her fall. She looked towards the sunset in time to see several more gargoyles charge towards her.

(X)

Dante fell back towards the cockpit as the front half of the plane suddenly began falling towards the water. The pilot cursed as he climbed out of his seat and pulled himself up to where Dante was waiting.

"Now what?" the pilot called as he climbed to Dante's side.

Dante simply said, "Take care of business." The pilot watched Dante transform and fly away.

"Wait!" the pilot called. "I can't fly!" Dante continued on as if he hadn't heard. "I better get paid extra for this." The pilot climbed further towards the edge of the front half of the plane. Another gust of wind toppled him over the side. The pilot crossed his arms as he fell towards the water. He remained perfectly calm as he landed headfirst in the water. As soon as he was completely submerged, his body began to change. His skin became a greenish blue as a cold slime was secreted through his pores. His lungs collapsed on themselves as bleeding slits broke open across his torso. He paddled down until he was deep enough to slip unnoticed under the Leviathan.

(X)

A figure clad in black gazed over the horizon towards the aerial battle. He watched two demonic silhouettes fight the horde of gargoyles. The Leviathan raised its head as one of the demonic silhouettes fell towards it.

The figure sensed someone approach him from behind. He waited for the other to kneel before acknowledging the intrusion. "Prepare the city, and get the guards here by morning. We're about to have some uninvited guests."

"What if they are the ones the Pythia predicted?"

The first figure resisted the urge to smirk. "That is why we must make these preparations. They're the deceivers who will destroy our civilization."

(X)

Lilith flipped on the air as a gargoyle whizzed past her. She extended the Yamato in time to catch the second one through the torso. She sliced the gargoyle in half and decapitated it on its way down. She prepared to defend against a third until the first that passed her grabbed her from behind. It sank four razor teeth into her upper right wing. Lilith clamped her teeth as she attempted to rip the wing loose. The third gargoyle drove a fist into her gut. The Yamato slipped from her hand.

A rain of bone darts from above accurately hit the first gargoyle several times in the face. The other one took several in the back of the head and along its spine. Lilith spun and kicked them away. Fresh pain shot through her right side as her injured wing refused to hold her up. She quickly lost altitude and fell upside down.

The Leviathan was right beneath her. Its prehensile tail snatched the Yamato in the middle of its descent and tossed it aside. Lilith watched in horror as the sword disappeared in the water. Without thinking about it, she covered herself with a lightning shield. Flashing bolts struck the water and were conducted across the Leviathan's body, but it remained perfectly unharmed as it waited for her to reach biting distance.

Struggling against the pain, Lilith righted herself just before reaching the Leviathan. She managed to hover long enough to send another barrage of lightning into its face. The Leviathan leaned to the side to dodge. It moved so quickly that, in the same motion, it clamped its teeth around Lilith's abdomen before she even realized it moved. With a muffled roar, the Leviathan dove underwater.

(X)

The extended tip of Sparda knocked a gargoyle out of Dante's aerial path as it sliced the beast open. He swung away in apparent madness as the rest of the horde fell upon him. His living hair snatched an eye from a gargoyle behind him. Before it could recover from being partially blinded, a second tress swung low and sliced cleanly through its neck. He quickly dispensed of the last few in a few carefully timed swings. As he cut down the last gargoyle, he twisted his wrist and released the sword.

The blazing red scythe broke through the last creature as it spun towards the Leviathan. The Leviathan had completely submerged with Lilith struggling between its jaws. The scythe hit the water without slowing down and severed the Leviathan's neck. Lilith was blinded by a sudden cloud of blood. The Leviathan's head was still clamped onto her body as it began to sink.

Lilith struggled against the Leviathan's mouth to force it open. She returned to human form as more pain began to wear on her. Before panic could set in, she glimpsed a human figure swimming towards her. His body waved up and down like a dolphin's tail as he sped towards her. When he reached her, he placed both feet against the Leviathan's lower jaw and slipped his hands between its teeth. With a powerful heave, he pried the Leviathan's mouth open. Lilith felt air escape her lungs as the teeth pulled free. She slipped to safety before the pain began to overtake her again. The good Samaritan grabbed by her arms and hauled her to the surface.

The fresh air caused Lilith to snap back to consciousness. She glimpsed her rescuer and realized it was the pilot. His body had tranmuted into an amphibious form.

"Oh," she muttered nonchalantly, "it's just you."

"You're welcome," the pilot responded with equal indifference. He let Lilith rest her head against his shoulder. He glanced up in time to see Dante plunge feet first into the water. Dante quickly emerged in human form.

"The swords?" Dante asked.

"Lost," the pilot answered.

"For now. Can you carry her?" Dante asked while nodding towards Lilith.

"For a few hours, maybe."

"Fine. Let's go." Dante turned south and began swimming.

The pilot opened his mouth to ask where Dante was going, but Dante had disappeared underwater again. The pilot sighed and followed with Lilith in tow. "I better get paid extra for this."


	2. Impostor

Impostor

Lilith planted her feet into the sand underwater and quickly stood up. She gasped as she took her first breath in over half an hour. She brushed her hair back and looked through the waist deep water for her two companions. Her father resurfaced on her immediate left. He wiped water from his eyes as he stood. A quick snort expelled water from his lungs.

"That wasn't so bad," he said and shook his head.

"Maybe for you," Lilith mumbled. "We lost the babies."

"Babies?"

Lilith leaned towards him. "Your father's swords."

"We didn't lose them. They're on the beach. I transmigrated them."

Lilith nodded as if she understood. "Righty-o." She reached into the water on her right when she heard rustling. She grabbed the pilot by his collar and pulled him to his feet.

Dante fought the urge to laugh. "Eryc? You look like shit."

Eryc grimaced as if he were cold. His skin was just beginning to lose its blue-green hue. His hair was still covered in amphibian slime. Blood ran down his sides and chest where his gills had sealed themselves. Eryc took a shallow breath and, with several internal heaves, pushed his lungs to their full volume. He nearly collapsed with relief when he was able to breathe air again. He continued grimacing and began the trek towards the shore.

Lilith saw Dante still struggling with laughter. "You can at least show some compassion," she said. "His transformations are very painful, and he loses a pint of blood every time he switches to air breathing."

"I know. Ow!" Dante shoved Lilith away after she punched him in the chest. Rather than retaliate, Lilith followed Eryc to the shore. Dante let her get about two meters ahead before going himself.

One by one, they arrived on the beach. Each one stopped and stared in utter confusion. Five men were waiting on the beach. They had various wardrobes, but they were all decked with stylized swords and guns. The one in the center, by his flashy colorful clothes(including a short red robe), was obviously the most important one in the group. Dante and Lilith paid attention to none of these things. The only thing that mattered to them was that in his left hand he carried the Yamato. Sparda was in his right.

"What are you doing with those?" Lilith demanded before Dante could make a legitimate diplomatic move.

The man in the center raised his head as if she'd insulted him. "I could ask you the same thing."

Lilith habitually moved to take a step forward. Dante pulled her back, nearly lifted her off the ground in the process, and stepped forward instead. "Those belong to us. You are obligated to return them."

To their surprise, the man laughed. "My name is Kaliel, and these swords belong to me."

"On what grounds?"

"They belonged to my father."

Lilith nearly choked on her breath. "Like hell they did!"

Dante held his arm out to stop her. "It's all right," he said. "Just give him enough rope." He gave Lilith a second to calm herself before speaking to Kaliel. "Who is your father?"

Kaliel glared as if trying to discern Dante's intentions. As usual, Dante kept a perfectly stoic expression. "My father," Kaliel finally volunteered, "was the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda."

Dante quickly spun on his heel as Lilith charged forward. He forced her back a few steps. "It's all right," he repeated. "Keep the rope coming."

"Why?" she insisted. "He's a liar."

"I know, but I want to see where this goes. We obviously ended up here for a reason. Just be patient."

Lilith closed her eyes and nodded. "Fine. This one time."

"Thank you." Dante turned back to Kaliel. "You want something?"

"You must have the gift of second sight." He motioned the other four forward. "You should meet the Pythia. Either way, you have to come with us."

(X)

Kyra crumbled the bay leaves over glowing charcoal. She sat in an elevated chair over a crevice in the earth. With only the glowing charcoal for light, she sat in the back of a small cave. She began to feel lightheaded as she inhaled the vapors rising from the crevice. She closed her eyes, though it was unnecessary.

A faint image flashed through her mind. Kyra calmly waited for something else. There was a sense of the color red before the next image came. She saw a man's face that she instantly recognized, but it shocked her so much, she dropped the bowl of bay leaves and nearly fell out the chair.

"It is him," she said as she stood. She stared blankly ahead. "He has come. The true blood of Sparda. At last, it's over."

Kyra whistled into the darkness. "Maki!" she called. She felt a small hand land on top of hers. "Take me out of here. Kaliel is expecting me."

Maki tugged on Kyra's hand and led her into the sunlight. The little girl blinked in the brightness. Kyra's cloudy eyes, however, continued staring blankly ahead. She heard whispers and jumbled voices around her as people made room for her to pass. Some of them threw flower petals onto her path. Each time her foot landed on top of one, she deliberately ground it into the earth. Light perfumes were released from each one. The crowd followed her and Maki back into the city until they reached a massive water fountain in the center. Maki placed Kyra's hand into the water before leaving her alone by the fountain. Kyra waited silently as everyone else eventually disappeared.

Kyra lifted her dress to sit on the edge of the fountain. Before she could sit, she felt someone else touch her hand. She straightened as the person held up her hand. "Sorry I'm late," Kaliel said. "I was delayed by strangers."

"The invaders?" Kyra suggested.

Kaliel helped her stand. "You don't need to ask. You're the one who said someone would come." He began to lead her away from the fountain.

"You're taking me to them," Kyra suggested.

Kaliel was silent before saying, "Are you asking?"

"Of course not. I know everything you do. And more."

"Whom are they?"

Kyra took too long to answer. "I don't know."

"You're lying."

Kyra's blank stared straight ahead. "Take me to them."

"I had no intention of doing otherwise."

Kyra felt her feet step onto cold grass. "How many are there?"

"Three. Two males and a female. One of the males claims the female is his daughter." Kaliel noticed Kyra jerk in an obvious sign of deception. "Should we give the female special treatment?"

"If we don't," Kyra assured him, "then she will take it from us. No man among us will be able to do otherwise."

Kaliel scoffed. "She is an obscenity. A woman who cannot be overcome by a man." He squeezed her hand. "If they are the ones you claim they are, do you think they know the truth about me? About what I'm doing?"

"You are completely unaware of what has come upon our shores," Kyra said defiantly. "Physical strength is not the only strength."

"You mean mental strength?"

"And all three have plenty of both."

(X)

The first thing Kyra felt was a rush of cold air, followed by cold marble against her feet. Kaliel took her a few steps forward before releasing her hand. "Here you are," he said, "like you asked." She thought he had shoved her before closing the door. She held her hand out as if looking for something.

She showed no surprise when someone took it. "Kyra," a familiar voice said.

"Dante. There's a voice I haven't heard in twenty years."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dante led her to a chair, but she didn't sit yet.

"I should be asking you that question. How did you find this place?"

"We didn't. We were attacked by creatures over the sea. I don't think it was an accident, considering Kaliel seemed to have been expecting us. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"The creatures thought they were protecting us. Other than me, no one else has been here in over 1500 years. Not to mention, I told them you were coming." Kyra placed a hand over Dante's face. "You haven't changed much."

She felt a minute brush of air, as if Dante were waving his hand at someone. "Is she here?" Kyra asked.

"What?" Dante responded.

"Your daughter. Is she here?"

"How did you . . ." she heard a soft feminine voice ask a short distance away. Kyra felt his eyes move towards that voice.

"She's here," he said to Kyra. "But she doesn't know you."

"I expected as much, considering how we parted ways."

"What is she talking about?" the young woman asked.

Dante lowered Kyra's hand. "Not now, Lilith."

"Lilith?" Kyra asked. "Such a pretty name. How appropriate." Kyra turned so that she would obviously be speaking to Lilith. "I'll give you some important advice, and you'd better heed it. Our culture is different from what you are used to. Just follow your father's lead, and you'll be safe. I hope."

She turned back towards Dante. "Kaliel wants to see the three of you later sometime. He might be insane enough to invite you to dinner."

Dante huffed. "Why am I uncomfortable with that idea?"

Kyra smirked as she raised her hand towards the door. "Because you're smart."

(X)

Kaliel gripped the jagged dagger in his right hand. He struggled against the urge to vomit as the smell of death filled his nostrils. His left hand steadied the hanging corpse as he carved a large chunk of flesh from its leg. He didn't turn around when the door opened behind him, but he knew who was paying him a visit.

"What did they say, Kyra?" he asked as a large chunk of flesh fell to the floor. A black furry canine leapt to Kaliel's feet and snatched up the meat.

"They don't trust you," Kyra answered, "and the young one is suspicious of all of us."

"And?"

"And what? There is nothing more to tell you. You have their cooperation. For now."

Kaliel chuckled. "I hope you're not thinking of letting them fulfill that ridiculous prophecy of yours. You know what will happen if anything were to happen to me, don't you?"

"Quite honestly, I have reached the point where I just don't give a damn anymore. All I care about are those people I'm protecting from you."

Kaliel stopped carving the corpse. The dog at his feet growled as if it were aware of what was going on. "You? Protecting them from me?"

Kaliel turned and threw the dagger. Kyra stepped back as if to dodge, but she had no idea where to go. She quickly turned to her right when she heard the dagger slam into the wall.

"Be very careful," Kaliel threatened. "You are not as important to them as you think. Nor to me."


	3. Dark Warning

Dark Warning

Lilith sensed herself standing on the edge of a cliff. The air was frigid, and mixed ash and snow were falling. The scene was tinted a depressing blue hue. Lightning flashed as she held the Yamato over her head. Volcanoes rumbled in the distance and covered the sky with black and grey.

Lilith held her hand up as if to capture a handful of snow and ash. When a snowflake hit her palm, she felt a dull burning, as if the snow were frozen fire. She struggled to maintain her footing as a nearby volcano began to erupt again. Smoke and black rocks were blown from the top. A pyroclastic flow rushed down the mountainside. Lilith watched as the superheated rocks tumbled over the edge of a cliff and into a lake far below. The water bubbled as poisonous acidic steam floated towards her.

"Is this a dream?" she asked herself. She knew the question had no meaning.

"Unfortunately, no," a man said.

Lilith sighed as she turned to see who had invaded her vision. As she expected, she saw her paternal grandfather's image. "A vision of the future?" she offered.

"Possibly." Without an explanation, Sparda walked away from her. As she had done many times before, Lilith followed him without question. Time and space passed her unnoticed. The volcanic scene was gradually and seamlessly replaced with an open field. The air was still freezing cold, though there was no snow. The ground cracked with frost. Sparda continued on until several long poles appeared in the distance. Lilith approached him from behind until she was close enough to rest her chin against his arm.

"Look," he said.

Lilith stepped around him. Ahead, there were several poles sticking up from the ground. What appeared to be human bodies were suspended in the air between them. "What is that?" she asked, but when she turned back to Sparda, he was gone. Feeling uneasy, Lilith continued alone towards the poles. As she grew closer, the smell of death filled her nostrils. Her pace slowed down as she grew close enough to realize what she was seeing.

The poles were large sharp stakes reaching towards the darkened sky. The human bodies she previously thought were suspended were actually impaled on the stakes. While most were obviously dead, some of them made minor twitching moves or moaned weakly as proof that they still lived. Lilith closed her eyes as if trying to wish the image away, but the sounds and smell refused to disappear. She finally opened her eyes and walked through the artificial forest of torment. She kept her eyes straight ahead and her mind blank. A few meters ahead, she heard what she thought was laughter.

"What bastard could possibly think this was funny? Even Dracula was too serious."

The laughter grew louder as she approached the center of the stake forest. The stake quivered slightly as the person impaled on top rocked it with his body. Lilith followed the bloodtrail on the stake upwards until she saw the person on top. She gasped and swallowed putrid air when she recognized him.

"Kaliel!"

Kaliel continued to laugh. At the same time, his bloodstained hands were stuffing raw bleeding flesh into his mouth. Lilith backed away until she walked into something solid. A large cold arm with large chunks of flesh missing wrapped itself around her neck.

(X)

"Where is her mother?" Kyra asked. "What happened to her?"

Dante blew dust from the edge of the chess board. "What difference does it make? It's been twenty years. A lot happens in that time."

"Just answer the question, you big baby, and move my D pawn to D4."

Sitting on Kyra's right, Eryc moved the piece for her instead. Dante lifted his hand to make his next move. He nearly knocked a chess piece over when Kyra repeated her question. Dante caught it and returned it to its original position. "Don't startle me like that. I could have cheated."

"No, you couldn't have. So, what happened to Deanna?" Dante's response was to simply move another game piece. "I don't like your answer," Kyra said.

"What do you mean?"

"Silence is a response in itself. I know Deanna is dead now. You might as well tell me what happened. I'm not a child, you know, especially since I was older than Deanna."

Dante realized too late that he had been staring into her blind eyes. "Well, it was poison. She drew it from Lilith's body into her own to save Lilith's life."

Kyra leaned back as if he had said something offensive. "You mean, she used a shamanic healing ritual. Knowing full well that it would kill her."

"Yes."

"And there was no other way?"

"If there were, I would have found it. It's too long and complicated to explain."

"I have all the time in the world."

"I don't."

Kyra shrugged. "Now I feel like an idiot."

"Why is that?"

"The last time you and I saw each other, you accused me of being a liar and a traitor, and I accused you of being a selfish jackass." Kyra laughed. "Do you remember?"

"Vaguely," Dante lied.

Kyra's laugh died as quickly as it had arrived. "I never got to tell her goodbye."

Suddenly changing the subject, Dante asked, "What do you want from us? You told me that you'd revealed our arrival to Kaliel. Why? And why is he so upset by it?"

"You already know part of the answer. I told him you knew he was lying about his heritage."

"Does he know how I know?"

Kyra shook her head. "Not in the slightest, and I highly recommend you keep it that way."

"If Lilith keeps her own mouth shut. What else is there? There is more to it than that. I'm sure it requires more than my daughter insisting he's a liar to get him testy."

Kyra's blank eyes dropped to the board. "I told him about people falling from the sky and rising from the sea. I told him that you were here to destroy his civilization."

Dante deliberately focused on the wrong part of her comment. "His civilization? Are you sure it's not someone else we're here for?"

Kyra shook her head. "All these years, and you still haven't grown up. You don't realize what I'm telling you. The people here look up to me as the Pythia to give them hope. Kaliel was the only one on this entire island upset by my prophecy."

"How's that? What does he really have to lose, considering everyone else was happy about what you said?"

Kyra began to feel tired. "He's a tyrant. He abuses his power and terrorizes innocent people."

Dante was completely silent. Kyra leaned towards Eryc. "Is he still here?"

"He's waiting for you to elaborate," Eryc said. "And he's checked your king."

(X)

Lilith awoke screaming in a cold sweat. She quickly pushed the bedsheets back and placed her feet against the floor. She tried to stand, but her knees became weak. She dropped to the floor and vomited onto the carpet.

"Dad," she tried to call, but it came out as a weak croak. Lilith quickly surveyed her surroundings before remembering she was not at home. She was sleeping in a guest room in Kaliel's mansion. She closed her eyes and reached out mentally to get a sense of where her father was. She sensed him on the floor below her. She stood and leaned against the bed as she tried to recall what frightened her so badly. She vaguely remembered her vision of Kaliel and the stakes.

"A bad day in Wallachia," she said to herself. She reached for her clothes and slipped them on. She then moved to lie down again until another wave of nausea swept over her. She quickly stood and headed for the balcony for some fresh air.

(X)

"He's as bad a monster as the ones he claims he's trying to protect us from," Kyra said. "He sullies your father's name as an excuse to go on power trips."

"I'll accept that," Dante said. "What does he do that makes everyone happy for destruction?"

"They don't know what he's really doing. They think that they will be free of this island. That you're some sort of messiah who will clear them of their past crimes."

"But I'm not."

"That doesn't matter. They just want to be rescued."

"From what?"

(X)

Lilith closed her eyes and tried to relax, but her efforts to do so were quickly undermined. Her ears were distracted by the familiar sound of several wings flapping all at once in the distance. Under this sound, she could make out soft screeching. She felt vibrations through her feet.

Lilith groaned as she opened her eyes. In the distance, she saw a tall black tower she had not noticed before. It easily reminded her of her dream. An indistinct, but suspiciously familiar, black cloud was spreading out from the tip of the tower.


	4. Man's Greatest Fear

Man's Greatest Fear

"I guess this time I'll have to take them barehanded." Lilith cracked her knuckles as the creatures in the lead neared her. She could not get a good view of their features. They appeared to be made of ink. She couldn't even separate one creature from the next. She reached beneath her coat and pulled a knife from her belt. The blade was made of sharp bone that never went dull.

Before the first creature reached her, she vaulted into the air. With a quick twist in midair, she landed on its back and drove the knife blade into its neck. Black blood spurted over her hand. Before she could jump to safety, something seized her by her arms and snatched her into the air. Its flesh was cold enough to give her goosebumps. The sudden exposure to cold made it difficult to breathe, as if she'd been plunged into frigid water. Lilith struggled against the sensation of drowning as the creature's fluid skin flowed over her face.

Urged on more by fear than determination, Lilith took a deep breath and transformed. The creature was literally riven in half by the power burst. Lilith was covered with black blood. Lightning flashed uncontrollably across her skin. She noticed that she was somewhat fatigued, and the air around her was cold enough to condense her breath. The black inky creatures began to take on the more familiar form of the gargoyles that had attacked her over the sea. They formed a large circle around her as if to attack from all directions.

Lilith sensed a gargoyle approach from behind. She flipped over backwards in time to flick the knife towards it as if passed under her. The bone blade pierced the gargoyle's left eye. Two more gargoyles charged at her from two different directions. She dodged the first one, but the second caught one of her wings and tore the cartilage. She screamed when sharp pain shot through her spine. The gargoyle released the wing and placed its hand against the wound. Its liquid skin seeped into her flesh and began to siphon her blood.

Another gargoyle charged at her from the front. Lilith didn't see it until it slammed itself against her. It spread over her as if to create a cold cocoon. Lilith's scream was stifled as she felt something pop painfully in her back. She reverted to human form and fell from the sky. Both gargoyles splattered as she hit the ground facedown. Lilith tried to push herself up, but the gargoyles' bodies, or whatever they were made of, crawled over her skin like an organic restraint and pulled her back to the ground. She felt her strength continue to be siphoned through her back wound. She became disoriented and finally ceased struggling. The liquid flesh crawled over her face as she lost consciousness.

(X)

Lilith awoke on a stone tiled floor. Her first thought was to jump up and prepare for another fight, but she still felt some pain from the battle injury. She wondered for a split second why it hadn't already healed.

"Get up," a familiar voice said. "I know you're awake."

Lilith showed no surprise when she sat up. She looked up at Kaliel with a defiant expression. "Just as I thought," she said. "You're crooked."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kaliel turned his back to her and deliberately stepped aside. Lilith saw she was inside what was apparently some kind of cathedral. The room was lit by torches on the walls and swinging from the ceiling as chandeliers. Where the pulpit would be, instead there was a large statue of a woman in classical clothing, like a caryatid. In front of the statue was an open casket. Stone tiles had been pulled away, and the dirt underneath had been dug up. It was as if a grave had been created in the floor.

"I guess you've figured me out," Kaliel said, "just as Kyra warned me. Now, I suppose, I'm obligated to congratulate you and ask your plans."

Lilith shook her head. "We have no plans. I don't know what you're talking about."

"You lie!" Kaliel spun towards her and unleashed a short barrage of lightning. Lilith withstood the assault, but she quickly lost her breath again. Kaliel approached her until he stood over her head. "Tell me the truth. What do you want here?"

"Those sea creatures attacked us first. You brought us here." Lilith felt blood well into her throat. "How did you do that? You stole my energy."

"Don't worry. It's only temporary, but I'm hoping I won't have to do it again."

Lilith summoned enough strength to stand. She felt herself growing stronger already. "I've been known to disappoint."

"I'm sorry to hear that. All I want is to survive. I've struggled to do so for over a century now, and I'm hoping you and the others can help me do that."

"How?"

"Strength requires a source. I've decided that you will be of use to me, which is why my pets brought you here alive instead of slaughtering you like the others outside."

"Your pets? Those beasts work for you?"

"They have no choice, really. If they don't keep me strong, then they will die as well."

Lilith bowed her head as she tried to understand what he was saying. "You created them. They're feeding you so you can keep them alive."

Kaliel nodded as if to affirm her accusation. "You have exceeded my expectations, not just as a woman, but as a person in general. Kyra was right that I should be wary of you. I can only imagine what your father must be capable of."

"He taught me. You won't be displeased."

"I'm happy to hear that. Unfortunately, I have to deal with you first. I need to get you under control so you can feed me."

Lilith instantly understood what he meant. "You mean to steal my powers. You won't be the first to try, and like all the others, you will fail."

"I'm not like the others. It takes a lot of energy to maintain myself and these creatures. My mind gave them life, and I intend to keep them alive."

Lilith reached around to grab her knife. Then she realized she'd lost it. "My father will be upset, but I can't take this anymore. I hope you don't think I believe that story about you father. I know for a fact that you are not the son of Sparda. Stop pretending you are."

Kaliel shrugged. "I am disconcerted by your continued lack of faith, but I am curious as to why you doubt me."

Lilith allowed herself to smirk. "That's easy. I know you are not the son of Sparda, simply because my father is. You two are definitely not related."

Lilith felt guilty pleasure at Kaliel's expression of shock. He caught himself and calmed enough to speak. "You're lying."

"No," Lilith said. "Sparda is my grandfather, and I have the blood to prove it. You knew the people would have recognized the swords, which is why you confiscated them on the beach."

To Lilith's surprise, Kaliel laughed. "You are indeed a worthy adversary. It's a shame what I must do to you." Kaliel raised his hand. Lilith heard a snap and crack from the shadows. She then felt vibrations through the stone floor. A man, which could not be mistaken as human and more than twice Lilith's size, dragged its hulking body towards them from the shadows. Its cumbersome muscles seemed to hinder its movement. Its skin was covered with thick dark brown fur, and it wore a large dog collar. It was more of a huge ogre than a man. It dragged a long bullwhip. Lilith instinctively braced herself for attack.

"You might as well let him take over," Kaliel said. "He is the greatest of my creatures. No man can overcome him. I know no woman can."

Lilith huffed. "Then this will be the first."

The muscular giant shook its massive head as if to clear it. Bowed legs carried its bulky body towards her. It walked as if it were in pain.

"Come on," Lilith goaded. "Do something."

As if it had tapped into a secret energy source, the giant straightened and lifted the bullwhip. Lilith reached out as the whip lashed at her. The tip wrapped itself around her hand with a painful snap. Blood welled up in her palm. Before the giant could recoil, she snatched the whip from him. She released her end as the whip stock flew towards her. She grabbed the stock, spun on her heel, and snapped the whip back towards the giant.

The tip of the bullwhip wrapped around the giant's neck. With her feet planted firmly in place, Lilith pulled the whip until her arm was fully extended behind her. Kaliel watched in awed silence as the giant struggled unsuccessfully against a woman less than half its size. Lilith's free hand reached out and seized the middle of the bullwhip. Her face betrayed the increasing effort of pulling the whip further. The leather began to fray. Lilith began to give way when the giant pulled back. The frayed section snapped. Lilith stepped back to maintain her balance. She tossed what was left of the whip aside. The giant lost its balance completely and fell to the floor. The stone tiles around it cracked under the impact.

Lilith blew threw her teeth. She caught Kaliel breaking his own fingers in frustration. He glanced back at her for a moment. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this," he said, "but you've left me with no choice."

Before Kaliel even finished speaking, Lilith gasped as she felt cold fluid splash across her back. It was the same substance as the gargoyles' skin. Frigid black flesh quickly wrapped itself around Lilith's neck. Her neck, wrists, and ankles were restrained by ropes of metamorphic flesh. Lilith dropped to the floor as the tendril around her neck began to slowly constrict. She watched Kaliel stand over her as she struggled for breath against the dominating cold. Several blood vessels in her eyes burst from the pressure.

"Enough," Kaliel finally said. "She's no good to me dead." The bulky giant sat up and growled. Kaliel waited patiently for the giant to get to its feet and walk to his side. Kaliel was silent for a few seconds as if in thought. His next words filled Lilith with terror.

"Bury her with the others."

Lilith's attempt to scream was reduced to an insignificant cackle. She felt more blood vessels rupture under her skin as the giant lifted her by her neck. It carried her to the burgundy casket in front of the statue. In a single smooth movement, the giant slammed her into the casket. The force of her fall caused the lid to fall closed. Staring into confined darkness, she banged her fists against the lid, but something was holding it down. Lilith listened in frightened silence. All she heard was the cranking as the casket was sealed. She jerked when she heard tapping on the lid, followed by the sensation of being dragged. She braced herself until she felt a short drop. The sudden stop caused her head to smack against the lid.

Lilith fought to maintain consciousness and sanity against fear. Though she wasn't claustrophobic, she thought she could feel the casket imploding. She felt her heart skip a beat when the first pile of dirt fell onto the casket. Lilith gazed up into the stifling darkness. She listened as the sound of dirt falling onto the casket gradually became muffled. Her eyes stung as blood flowed from her eyes. The bloodflow calmed her enough to continue listening. When she heard the stone tiles being slid into place above her, she closed her blood filled eyes and screamed.

(X)

Kyra held her hands up as Dante jumped to his feet. His knee hit the table, which in turn shifted the chess board. Every chess piece either toppled over or rolled to the floor.

"What is it!" Kyra said. "What happened!"

"I . . .I don't know," Dante stammered. "Something with Lilith." Dante contemplated the impact of his own words. "Something's happened to Lilith!" Dante moved for the door.

"Wait!" Kyra called. He stopped but didn't turn around. "If you go looking for her, you may put her into greater danger."

"I don't think that's possible right now." Dante thought for a moment before asking, "Do you know where she is?"

Kyra slightly bowed her head as if she were at a loss for words. "No," she answered. "I don't."

"Then, at least," Eryc said for her, "don't go alone."

Dante adjusted his coat collar and continued on. "Go with him," Kyra said to Eryc. "I'll be all right. Go after him." Kyra waited until she heard the door close. "I'm sorry," she said into the air. "Gods help that young woman if he has her in the cathedral."


	5. Blood Feast

Blood Feast

Eryc deliberately kept his distance as he followed Dante into the street. The city was eerily quiet in the darkness. Dante was standing in the street amid what Eryc thought were shiny black stones twinkling under the moonlight. Eryc circled around so he could look Dante in the face.

Just to get the interrogation started, Eryc asked, "What happened in there?"

Dante's right eye twitched. With an indiscernible twist of his foot, something cracked on the ground. He politely moved his foot aside as Eryc kneeled to pick up the object. It was a knife with a blade made of jagged bone.

"What the hell is this?" Eryc asked.

"It's Lilith's," Dante answered. "She was fighting out here. It's the only way she could have lost it."

Eryc shrugged as he handed it over. "Maybe it was taken from her."

"Hardly."

Eryc kneeled to the ground to pick up one of the shiny black stones. It was frigid in his palm. To his surprise, it wasn't adamant like real stone. It wobbled like gelatin for a second before instantly melting. The liquid "rock" flowed over his palm and splattered onto the ground. Eryc stood and habitually wiped his hands against each other.

Dante inhaled deeply as a cool breeze blew through the city. He stifled a cough as the smell of blood filled his nostrils. Without another word to Eryc, Dante spun towards the city and walked away at an excruciatingly restrained pace. Eryc followed him into the city. They casually watched as hundreds of people somberly left their homes in a macabre parade. Some of them were carrying dismembered and partially decomposed corpses from their houses. Others were picking the bodies off the ground. The smell of blood and death increased as they drew closer to the center of town. Dante stopped when the smell of burning flesh was added under the other odors. He saw the tips of flames in the distance.

"A pyre," Eryc said beside him. "I'd like to see that from above."

Dante raised an eyebrow as the thought crossed his mind. "What are you contriving?" Eryc asked. "I hope you're not thinking of flying up there."

Dante responded with a knowing look before carefully pushing his way through the crowd. Eryc watched him approach the nearest building. No one else noticed him leap up the side of the building and land silently onto the roof. Eryc shook his head. "What a kid."

(X)

Dante stuffed his fists into his pockets. Below, a great pyre was ablaze in the middle of a plaza. People on the edges of the crowd were picking up corpses and passing them overhead to others. The corpses were ushered in this manner to the people in the center of the crowd, who tossed the bodies into the fire. Most of the youngsters lamented loudly in a collective howl. However, most of the older folks carried cold expressions of stoicism, as if they had seen this scene too many times to continue caring about it. Some of the people in both groups stayed on the edge of the crowd where they could vomit discreetly in back alleys.

Dante avoided sighing to keep the odor of death out of his throat. "A thousand words."

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Dante watched Kaliel appear in his peripheral vision. "They do this all the time," Kaliel said. "Sometimes for days at a time. It's a real wonder there's any of them left to do it."

The two stood on the edge of the roof in silence as the mass funeral continued below. Dante was the first to break the silence. "Where is my daughter?"

"Right to the point. I like that."

"Where is she, damn it?"

"Sleeping. She's a lot safer where she is now than she could be anywhere else on this island."

Kaliel's breath fell short when he found Dante's hand suddenly appear around his throat. Dante spoke with his teeth partially clenched. "Don't play games with me. What happened to her? I know she was with you."

Kaliel grabbed Dante's wrist and drew a labored breath. "Be careful. How do you know that by harming me, you won't be harming her as well?"

"How do I know I would?"

"Are you willing to take that chance?"

Dante growled as he gradually pried his fingers from Kaliel's neck. He placed his left hand over his right fist. "You might as well come clean, or I'll try to kill you anyway."

Kaliel turned back towards the show below. "She was right about you, true son of Sparda." Kaliel didn't have to look to know Dante's reaction. "I know. She blabbed right before I put her away." Kaliel looked at him. "Don't worry. She is safe."

"I know. But for how long?"

"That depends on you."

"I hope you don't expect me to just up and disappear without a trace."

"I thought it would be too much to ask."

Dante shook his head. "I'm not leaving empty-handed. Kyra is trying to convince me I have to do something for her here."

Kaliel slightly lowered his head. "What are you to Kyra?"

Dante merely shrugged. Kaliel dared to ask, "Were you lovers?"

Dante's eyes widened, then he narrowed them as if looking for an ambiguous answer. "No," he finally said. "Far from it."

"What, then?"

"None of your damned business."

Kaliel chuckled. "Granted, this is an inauspicious environment. Let's have a talk over dinner."

"Now you're making fun of me."

"Not totally. I just want a chance to explain myself, and Kyra can explain herself to me."

Dante grimaced. "What's to explain? I don't want to eat anything with your name on it anyway."

Kaliel was momentarily distracted by a sudden explosion of wailing below. "Then let me help you build an appetite. There's something I want to show you tomorrow. A favorite sport of mine."

Dante shrugged again. "Oh hell. Why not?" He glanced back towards the fire. More bodies were still being thrown into the flames. "What happened to these people?"

Kaliel stepped closer to him as if expecting someone to eavesdrop. "Just trying to survive."

(X)

Kyra paced across the room for nearly an hour. She counted fifteen steps both ways. She slapped her palms together in anticipation until she heard the door open.

"Kaliel?"

"Who else?" Kaliel let the door shut completely before continuing. "Do you have anything else to report, Pythia?"

"Report?" Kyra tilted her head. "What did you do to Lilith?"

"Why? What is she to you?"

Kyra threw herself towards his voice. Kaliel sidestepped. She ran into the wall, bounced back, and slid to the floor. "You buried her in the cathedral! Didn't you! You bastard!"

Kaliel approached her from behind. "What difference does it make?"

Kyra didn't answer. Kaliel kneeled behind her and placed both hands onto her shoulders. He leaned closer to her. "Why? What does she matter to you?"

Kyra didn't answer immediately. Kaliel felt her shoulders quiver under his hands. Then she suddenly erupted in a fit of tears. "She's all that's left. She's all I have."

Kaliel shook his head. "I don't understand."

"You can't understand." Kyra leaned her head against the wall. "You never will."

Kaliel pressed against her shoulders. "She is alive, Kyra. She is young and strong. It will be a long time before she dies. I can taste it."

Kyra pulled her shoulders from him. "She's not just another one of your dinners for the Blood Feast. You will die for this."

"And I'll take everyone with me. Is that what you want?"

"It's better than this. I should have let the people kill you. I should have left you hanging on that pole all those years ago."

Kaliel leaned closely to her again. His hand reached around to touch her abdomen. "Where would that have left you? Who, other than I, would have taken care of you? You're just a blind little witch. You are nothing without me."

Kaliel seized Kyra's arm and pulled her to her feet. Before she could react, he turned her to face him and forcefully kissed her. When he pulled back, she pulled one hand free and slapped him. Kaliel was deliberately slow to recover from it. He stepped away from her and wiped his mouth.

"You'll learn, eventually. Gratitude does not stop me from seeking vengeance."


	6. True Colors

True Colors

The morning twilight left an unusual chill on Dante's skin. A cold breeze rustled through the open balcony doors. Dante sat on the edge of the bed. He used Lilith's knife to pick at the skin under his fingernails until blood began to drip onto the carpet. The pain was the least important thing to him. He had been in this same position throughout the entire night since he and Eryc returned from the overblown funeral in the city. He had spent the entire night mentally seeking Lilith, but her presence seemed to be forever silent.

A sudden gust carried the smell of carbon and burned flesh into the room. Still partially in a trance, Dante stood and walked to the balcony. The gust became stronger as he leaned against the railing. He felt the all too familiar sensation of blood surging from his tearducts.

"All right," he said to himself. "What is it this time?"

The smell on the wind began to fade with his consciousness. In a deep meditative state, he closed his eyes and waited for any signal he could get from Lilith, his father, or even the Universe. When nothing came, he straightened his back. The death smell in the air increased sharply. Dante jumped back, only to realize he was not on the balcony. He, or rather, his mind, was within the main hall of some apparently historical building.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

The building was a large stone hall, like a medieval church. The stone floor tiles were misshapen, as if they had been repeatedly uprooted. A giant caryatid was centered against the back wall. Kaliel was sitting on the floor next to a hole in the floor. A body was stretched out in front of him. Dante got just close enough to realize that it was Lilith. Kaliel leaned over her with a dented bloody fork.

"What are you doing?" Dante asked too softly to be heard.

Kaliel responded anyway. He looked up with a smile. "Sit and eat." Kaliel stabbed Lilith with the fork and lifted a bleeding chunk of flesh from her body. She remained perfectly still as if dead. Caught off guard by the sight, Dante clenched his teeth. The death smell suddenly hit him again. Before Kaliel could stick the fork into his mouth, Dante quickly reached down to grab his wrist.

Kaliel smirked and dropped the fork. "I really wish you hadn't done that."

"I bet you do."

Kaliel pulled his arm free. With a swift wave of both hands, a powerful gust blew Dante into the air and backwards. He landed on his feet several meters from Kaliel. The wind did not completely die down. Dante moved forward as if to charge at him. Kaliel raised a hand, and an invisible barrier pushed Dante back another meter. Dante glanced at Kaliel's arm. Familiar curved spikes were protruding from them. Dante watched in feigned apathy as a pair of wings slowly emerged from Kaliel's shoulders. Dante then gave himself away when a second and third pair pulled out from behind them.

"See something you don't like?" Kaliel taunted. Dante tried to step forward, but the invisible barrier was still in place. Parts of it rippled where it was touched.

"There is nothing you can do," Kaliel continued. "She has no idea how powerful she is, or how powerful she has made me."

"You're not ready," Dante suddenly said. "The power will reject you."

Kaliel lowered his hand. "I doubt that. You can't defeat me in body, and I will crush your mind." Kaliel's wings pushed him into the air with one mighty flap. Before Dante could react, the barrier sucked air towards itself, then exploded. Blinding light burned his retinas as a searing wind ripped the flesh from his body.

With a sharp intake of breath, Dante opened his eyes. A few seconds passed before he realized he was in his body again. He gazed up at the ceiling dimly lit by the first sunlight. He sat up and massaged his hands, which had a dull ache that reminded him too well of his vision. Then he allowed himself a cocky laugh.

"This will be easy."

(X)

Kaliel sat on the bare cave floor while Kyra sat in her elevated chair over the crevice. She inhaled deeply as she tried to find an answer that did not want to make itself known. Kaliel stared into her face as torch light flickered across it.

"He was here," Kaliel suddenly said. Kyra opened her eyes, though she saw nothing.. "He was in my mind," Kaliel explained. "Just moments ago. He knows I have his daughter."

Kyra's mouth moved up and down as if speaking nonexistent words. "I have told him nothing," she finally said.

"It doesn't matter now. Have the gods spoken to you yet?"

Kyra shook her head as if accepting a death sentence. "They have severed themselves from me. There is only silence."

"All the more reason to hurry. Let's finish with our last two guests, and then we can go on as if nothing has happened." He stood and extended a hand towards Kyra. She hesitated. "What's wrong?" Kaliel asked.

Kyra finally lifted her own hand. Kaliel took it and pulled her from the chair. "Come on. I have to take care of some business. Would you care to join me?"

"You know I don't like to," Kyra said. "Your sense of law and justice is too much for me."

Kyra felt Kaliel tower over her. "Traitors are all around me," he whispered to her. He placed a hand against her cheek and tilted her head up. "I would've hoped that you, of all people, would understand that, especially after my little accident a few years ago."

"If I had no faith in you, then why did I save you?"

"Why, indeed? You too are full of deception."

The conversation died there. Kaliel jerked Kyra behind him. She felt the terrain change under her feet from grass and rock to stone pavement. There were few voices around to give away anyone's presence. The smell of the last night's funeral still lingered in the air.

"Hearty meal?" Kyra asked sarcastically.

"Very," Kaliel answered, to her surprise. "If only they knew the truth, then they would be grateful to give themselves to me."

"Sometimes death is better."

Kyra stopped when she felt Kaliel do so first. His grip on her hand increased for a few seconds. Then he relieved the pressure and jerked her on. "I suppose you would know," he finally said.

Though the rest of the trip was completely silent, Kyra knew exactly where Kaliel was taking her. Isolated about a mile to the left of the cathedral, another stone building waited for them. It appeared from the outside to be a fortress. The stone was a pale shade of blue. Kyra subconsciously placed her hand against it, but quickly drew it back as the cold made her skin prickle.

"Hurry," Kaliel said. "I believe we have an unexpected guest."

"Was he really unexpected?"

Kaliel chortled at the suggestion. "No. I guess he wasn't."

Kaliel carefully pulled Kyra up the staircase through a narrow corridor. He led her to a balcony that extended all the way around an apparent arena. Though it was designed to seat a few thousand, the seating area was empty. At least fifty people, however, were crowded in the arena below. All of them had their hands bound behind their backs with barbed wire. Most of them were screaming and crying as if expecting something horrible to pop up from the ground or fall from the sky to swallow them whole.

Kaliel placed Kyra in front of a seat. She felt for the armrests before dropping herself onto the cushion. Kaliel walked away from her without announcing himself. She leaned forward to listen to his footsteps as she visualized his path around the arena. A few meters away, Dante was waiting with his back to Kaliel.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," Dante said before Kaliel reached him.

"How did you know about this place?"

"It was in your mind. There were many things in there I wish I could have avoided."

"Yeah. Kyra says that a lot, too."

Dante glanced at Kyra before looking back to the people crowded below. "What is this place?"

"I think you already know."

"Humor me."

Kaliel snorted and walked to the edge. He whistled to get everyone's attention from below. "How shall we do this?" he asked Dante. "One at a time or en masse."

"It depends. What did they do?"

As if in answer to his question, Kaliel nodded to one of the armored guards below. The guard, who carried a giant axe, seized one haggard looking man and dragged him forward to a wooden block. "You have all been tried and found guilty of treason against the throne, blah blah blah. You know the drill. Any last words?"

The man shrieked as if he had lost all ability to speak. "Yeah," Kaliel said stoically, "I get that a lot, too."

Kaliel waved his head. Another guard pushed the man forward and forced his head against the wooden block. The first guard raised the giant axe. The second one did not move until the first one swung the axe down. In a single swipe, the axe crushed through the man's neck and severed it. Bright blood gushed over the wooden block.

Kaliel chuckled. "He's lucky. It usually takes more than one swing."

"What did they do to deserve execution?" Dante asked.

Kaliel shrugged. "There's so many of them nowadays. I don't even remember." Both remained silent as three more people were executed by decapitation. Then Kaliel whistled again. "Enough!" he called. "Choose something else!"

The next hour continued as such. Several people were hanged, then crucified, then burned alive until there was only one person left. Dante took note of a red tatoo on the last man's left arm. Kaliel whistled again.

"Get the big one for this!" he called to the guards.

Dante lowered his eyes as a large brass statue of a bull was pushed and pulled by several men into the arena. Upon seeing it, the man began to shriek, kick, and thrash about. Two guards had to hold him down.

Kaliel noticed Dante was looking away. "You know what this is, don't you?" There was no ridicule in his voice, but sincere curiosity instead.

"One of the worst things to ever come out of the ancient world," Dante said. "A brazen bull."

Kaliel turned back to the arena. "Why do you look away?"

"I am a killer by trade," Dante said, "but I am not immune to the suffering of the innocent."

"They are not innocent!" Kaliel growled through clenched teeth. "These animals deserve everything I give to them for what they've done."

"What would that be?"

Kaliel remained silent as the executioners below created a small fire beneath the statue. As the victim was dragged to the device, he looked up towards Dante and Kaliel. "Bastard!" he screamed. "The son of Sparda will doom us all!"

Dante flinched as if he had been the actual target of the accusation; in the back of his mind, he felt it was true. The victim continued struggling until they shoved him into the statue's hollow center. The fire beneath was stoked until the man within the device screamed with unimaginable agony. The screaming was quickly overshadowed by the artificial sound of lowing coming from the pipes in the statue's throat. Before the execution was complete, Dante turned and stormed away without warning. Kaliel's eyes remained on the execution. He shook his head as if in sorrow.

"I thought he'd be entertained." He turned and ran to Kyra. He plopped into the seat beside her. "Don't you think it rude of him to run off like that?"

Kyra stared blankly ahead. "He didn't run."

"Hmm." Kaliel remained in his seat. All they could hear was screaming from below. "Are you doubting me?" he asked.

"Why do you keep asking me that?" Kyra said.

"Because I don't trust you. I know there is some connection between you and Dante. You practically admitted it yesterday."

"I am loyal to you, Kaliel," she said as if she were trying to convince herself. "It is all in your head. Remember that I am the one who saved you when your family was slaughtered."

"I have not forgotten. I hope you will make sure your friends will be at dinner tomorrow night."

Kyra slowly nodded. "Of course."


	7. Death Whispers

Death Whispers

"Are you out of your mind?" Dante pushed a cup across the table. "He actually wants us to have dinner with him?"

Kyra sighed. "After you walked away like that, you should know that he would want to talk to you."

"Did you see what he did? Of course not. Sorry."

Kyra laughed. "I saw it in my mind."

"He executed all those people yesterday, and he didn't even remember why."

"That sounds about right."

Dante pushed his chair closer to Kyra. "He said they were not innocent. Why? What did they do?"

Kyra rubbed the back of her neck. "That is something you should get from Kaliel. Not to mention the location of your daughter."

Kyra felt Dante's stare bore through her skin. "Right," he finally said.

(X)

"I was wondering when you'd get here." Kaliel flashed an insincere smile as he sat down at the metallic dinner table. Every chair in the room was made of large polished bone. Giant reptilian skulls hung over the back like macabre canopies. The table was round and large enough for just four people. Dante mumbled something as he took the seat on Kaliel's immediate left.

"What was that?" Kaliel asked.

"Oh, fuck off, Kaliel!" Dante demanded in an unexpected outburst. "Give me a fucking moment!"

Kaliel leaned against his elbow and tugged on his ear as if he were offended. Eryc led Kyra to the seat on Kaliel's right before taking the fourth for himself. Kaliel softly laughed.

"I suppose this will be less of a meal and more of an accusation game."

Dante leaned his head against the back of the chair. "You supposed correctly. Now tell me what I want to know."

"In a moment." He tilted his head back as if summoning someone from the other side of the room. Two servants entered the room, placed several plates and filled glasses onto the table, and left as quickly as they had appeared. Kaliel returned his attention to Dante. "You were saying?"

Dante leaned towards him. "I know you have Lilith. Just tell me where she is."

Kaliel imitated Dante's position by leaning towards him. "And if I do? You'll just leave me in peace?"

"Not a chance."

Kaliel straightened. "Then I don't know."

In a mixture of amusement and frustration, Dante leaned over the table with his elbow on the edge. He placed his forehead against his fingers, which caused his face to be aimed directly at his dinner plate. His breath caught in his throat. "Oh shit."

Eryc considered saying something. As if sensing his thoughts, Kyra touched his arm and shook her head. "Leave this between the two of them. You and I will only get in the way."

With his eyes on Kyra, Eryc stabbed a hunk of meat on his plate. He bit into it, chewed, then spat it back onto his plate with an expression of disgust.

"What's wrong?" Kaliel asked as if he did not know.

Eryc continued spitting. "What is this? It's the worst thing I've ever had."

Dante was still staring down at his plate. On the largest hunk of meat was a conspicuous red marking. It bore an unsettling resemblance to the tatoo on the last man executed the day before. Everyone flinched and backed away when Dante sat up. He stifled a scream as the plate slid across the table and smashed itself into the wall. Before anyone could question what happened, Dante seized Kaliel's collar and lifted him from his seat. In the same motion, Dante slammed Kaliel onto the table. Kyra and Eryc jumped to their feet and backed away.

Dante pressed his palm against Kaliel's forehead and slammed Kaliel's head against the table. Kyra stepped forward, but Eryc grabbed her around the waist. Dante seized Kaliel's neck in an iron chokehold.

"Wait!" Kyra screamed. "Don't hurt him. You mustn't kill him!"

"Why not!" Dante demanded.

"Because you'll be killing everyone on this island if you do!"

Eryc released his grip on Kyra. Dante did not do the same for Kaliel. "Why is that?" he asked without looking up.

"Let him tell you. Please."

Kaliel was already turning blue. The blood vessels in his face were beginning to protrude. Dante reluctantly released Kaliel. Kaliel slid to the floor and gasped for air. Dante picked him up by the collar and pushed him towards his chair. Kaliel sat and took a moment to catch his breath.

Dante smacked Kaliel on his head to get his attention. "Tell me where she is."

Kaliel defiantly stood. "No, but I'll do you one better."

"I doubt that."

"Then let me help you sleep tonight." Kaliel unbuttoned his shirt and exposed his torso. There was an ugly scar of concave flesh just above his navel. "The people out there are helpless, but they are not innocent. What I told you was true. They gave me this scar. They should be grateful that I let them live at all."

Kaliel sat down again. Dante waited patiently for Kaliel to continue. "Several years ago, when I was less than ten years, those people out there attempted a coup against my family and the throne. They dragged us out of our beds at night. My mother, my father, my sister, both of my brothers, and I were all impaled, one by one, and left out to rot under the sky. If it were not for Kyra rescuing me, I would have died out there with my family, and taken this whole island with me. Those people out there are nothing but murderers. This is their restitution. If they sacrifice themselves to keep me alive, then I will keep them alive."

Dante closed his eyes as the epiphany swept over him. "Cannibalism. The Blood Feast. Those mutilated bodies. You're stealing their lives to extend your own."

Kaliel nodded. "Bingo."

Dante opened his eyes. "That doesn't explain how killing you endangers them." Kaliel did not answer. Dante turned his malicious attention to Kyra. "You know. What is he not telling me?"

Kyra shrugged. "I don't know."

"Don't lie." Dante's voice betrayed an emotional weariness. "You're as clear as glass. I can see right through you."

Kyra backed away as if to hide behind Eryc. "Don't do anything you'll regret."

"At this moment, I don't believe that's possible."

Kaliel leaned his head back and moaned. Something outside the building screeched loudly enough to send vibrations through his body. "That's it," Kaliel said as if no one else were listening. "The next feast has just begun."

Dante casually pushed Eryc and Kyra aside as he rushed out of the dining room. All Kaliel saw was a flash of black light before Dante disappeared.

"She was right," Kaliel said. "He has not disappointed me."

(X)

Dante leapt straight into cold black chaos. Indiscrete forms invaded the city. He watched several of them fly away with screaming people in their claws. He ignored them momentarily to focus on the ones still trying to raze the city. People abandoned the streets in panic in a seemingly futile attempt to reach their havens.

Dante effortlessly slid past each person as he followed the flying horde towards the city square. As he approached the scene of the previous night's funeral, a flying black blob dove towards him. Dante quickly backed out of reach. The claws of a second creature grabbed his shoulders from behind and yanked him from the ground. The talons penetrated deeply enough to spirt blood. The abductor hadn't completed its next flap before Dante transformed. The energy released tore through the creature's claws, and a well timed flap of Dante's metal lined wing sliced open its torso.

Black blood flew over Dante's head as he let himself fall to the ground. He landed a short distance from the square. When he stood, he was greeted by the sight of several people being ripped to shreds by more of the inky gargoyles before their dismembered parts were carried away. Dante noticed a large hulking mass behind the gargoyles and flying blood. As the marauding horde flew in separate directions in a disorganized flight, a bulky man, or what appeared to be a man, was crouched on the ground.

Dante's head slowly fell back as he watched the ogre stand. "Wow," was all he managed to say, though he wasn't sure if it were in admiration or condescension. He stepped away as the ogre swung a long chain and slammed it against the ground. Chunks of stone pavement flew aside.

Dante laughed as he continued to back away. The ogre stared at him as if to make sure he was really there. Then a dark hatred covered its face, as if it recognized him. It lunged forward before swinging the chain. Dante ducked and launched himself between the ogre's feet. He flared his wings as he passed the ankles. Both of the ogre's Achilles tendons were sliced cleanly through by the metal edges. Dante slid to a stop and stood as the ogre fell. It attempted to stand again, but its legs would no longer support its weight.

While it was still down, Dante took a quick flight over its body. He casually snatched the chain from the ogre's hand. The ogre lifted itself and brought its hand down to smash him into the pavement. In a flash of black light, Dante dashed to a safe distance. He jerked the chain out of the ogre's reach. The ogre dragged itself towards him; each time either of its hands came down was an attempt to either seize the chain or flatten Dante. Dante continued to calmly step back as the ogre advanced.

Finally out of patience, the ogre pushed itself to its knees. Thinking quickly, Dante swung the chain over his own head before aiming it for the ogre. The momentum wrapped the chain once around the ogre's neck. Dante raised his end of the chain to his face and pulled it taut. Then he launched a powerful burst of lightning through the it. The ogre released an unearthly howl as its body convulsed, but it did not fall over.

When Dante finally ceased the electrocution, the ogre painstakingly raised itself to its feet. It successfully stood but could not walk because of the severed tendons. Dante waited a moment to see what it would do. When it remained standing perfectly still, Dante raised his wings. He lifted himself from the ground and slammed into the ogre's chest. As the ogre fell backwards, Dante grabbed the other end of the chain. He planted a foot firmly against the ogre's chin as it hit the ground on its back. Pulling on both ends of the chain as hard as he could, Dante sent another barrage of lightning through the metal. The ogre's screams were overshadowed by cracking thunder and straining metal. Random creatures flying above were fried by rogue lightning.

Dante would not allow himself to stop until the chain snapped in half. The sudden silence was unsettling. Dante was genuinely surprised to discover the ogre was still breathing. He tossed both ends of the chain aside and kneeled over the ogre's face. Tresses of Dante's long white devil hair raised up like vipers preparing to strike. They formed into sharp tips and plunged themselves into the ogre's face. Several of them pierced its eyes in their attempt to bore into its brain.

The ogre gave no resistance. Dante stared into what was left of its eyes as he mentally worked his way into the ogre's memories. The first thing he saw was the cathedral a short distance from the arena. The next image was of Lilith standing in the middle of the cathedral's main room. He didn't notice Eryc and Kyra trip and tumble through the chaos to reach him.

Kyra pulled free of Eryc's hand and gambled on taking a step forward. "Dante?" she called.

He acted as if he had not heard her. His hair slowly retracted from the ogre's head like prowling venomous snakes. "Dante?" Kyra called again. He glanced at her long enough for her to realize he was irate. Though she couldn't see it, she could feel it as if it were radiating from his body. Then she heard the metallic whistle as he flew away.

Kyra held her hand out towards Eryc. "Lead me to the cathedral," she said. "He's about to find something unpleasant."

(X)

Kyra clutched to Eryc's arm as he dragged her towards the cathedral. Thunder rolled as Eryc came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs at the entrance. Dante was standing in human form at the top of the stairs with his back to them.

Kyra tugged on Eryc's sleeve. "What is he doing?"

"Nothing. He's just standing there."

A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. Dante walked into the cathedral as if preparing for a fight. "Take me in there," Kyra said. "We have to follow him." Eryc carefully led her up the stairs. The rain began to fall as they entered the worship area. Kyra pulled from Eryc and took a few steps forward.

"She's in here," Dante said.

Kyra tensed as if stung. "What do you mean?"

Dante did not turn to face her. He stared up at the caryatid. "Lilith is in here. I sense it."

"I don't understand."

"I bet you don't." Dante remained silent for an indeterminate time. Just as Kyra began to relax, Dante spun towards her and slapped her as hard as he possibly could. Kyra shrieked as she dropped to the floor. Eryc was too shocked to move to help her.

Kyra sat up on her knees and wiped blood from her mouth. "Why?" was all she could say.

"Three days!" Dante's breaths abruptly grew shorter as his rage increased exponentially. "She's been in here for three days, and you said nothing!"

"I didn't know."

"You lie! You knew all along and left her in here to die, you bitch! Your own flesh and blood!"

Eryc felt his mouth fall open. "Oh shit. Kyra, is this true?"

"Of course it's true!" Dante screamed. He turned back towards the caryatid to compose himself. "Damn you, Kyra." He took a few steps with his eyes closed. "This floor. It's hiding something."

"A cemetery," Kyra explained. "There are graves under the floor. People buried to feed Kaliel's life."

Eryc shook his head. "She can't possibly be alive. Not if mercy exists in this world."

"She is alive," Dante insisted. "Mercy is one thing we're not accustomed to."

His eyes still closed, he held his hands out as if looking for energy signatures under the floor. He took a few more steps towards the caryatid before stopping over a particular spot. He looked down. "These stones are irregular."

Dante stared as if thinking of something complex. In a daze, he lifted his right foot and stomped it against the center of a stone tile. Cracks spread out from under his boot. He stepped back and held his hand over the area.

"What happened?" Eryc asked.

"She responded to the stomp. I felt it. She's right under this spot."

Eryc shook his head. "Dante, after three days, what do you expect to find down there?"

"It doesn't matter. Either way I'm getting her out of there." With an exaggerated swing of his arm, he mentally willed the stones to flip themselves to the right. A second swing to his left caused more stones to flip violently off the grave. Bare ground was exposed. Dante kneeled and took a handful of it.

"This dirt is still loose."

Eryc resisted the urge to rush to Dante's aid. He and Kyra remained where they were as dirt and rocks flew in every direction at Dante's mental command. In a matter of seconds, the floor was covered with dirt. Dante glanced down into the empty hole where his daughter's casket lay.


	8. The Final Piece of the Puzzle

The Final Piece of the Puzzle

Kyra remained where she was on the floor as Eryc finally stepped to Dante's side. He gazed down at the casket. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dante's expression made him think otherwise. Dante dropped down into the grave feet first. Dante's gloves squeaked as he tightly balled his fists. With a short battlecry, he lifted his fist and dropped it straight through the casket lid. His fist stopped a few millimeters above Lilith's face. Wood flew through the air as he retracted his hand. The hole was large enough to expose her face and shoulders.

Lilith moaned and tried to turn from the light she had been locked away from for three days. Her face and pillow were stained with the blood of Sparda's Sorrow. It was still pouring from her eyes until she was exposed to the light. As if he were midwifing, Dante reached into the hole with both hands and seized her shoulders. He yanked her through the hole with a single heave. She squealed with pain as he pulled her to her feet.

"Eryc," Dante called. Eryc needed no explanation. He leaned down and took Lilith from Dante. He lifted her by her arms. "Lay her down," Dante ordered as he pulled himself from the grave.

Eryc dragged her away a short distance before obeying. Dante kneeled beside her. He forced her eyes open. She snarled in disapproval and turned away. Dante grabbed her shoulders and forced her back down. He held her head down with both hands. She opened her eyes and struggled as if attempting halfheartedly to break free. Dante quickly slapped her to calm her down. To his surprise, she slapped him back.

"Okay, I deserved that." Dante motioned to Eryc. "Hold her head back," Dante said. Eryc pressed a hand against Lilith's forehead. He cringed in disgust when he saw a lump in her throat. It wriggled and undulated beneath her skin. He nearly lost his balance when Dante withdrew Lilith's bone knife. In a single smooth motion, he slit the skin of her throat. A familiar black substance oozed from the wound.

"Whoa!" Eryc stood and backed off.

Dante flung the last of the fluid away before closing the wound. "What's your problem?"

"What the hell was that!"

"It was Kaliel's," Kyra answered from behind him. "He was using it to absorb and transfer her power."

Eryc waited in silence as Dante leaned closer to Lilith's face. Her struggles quickly ceased as she and her father locked eyes. Shortly afterwards, he nodded at her as if confirming a telepathic message. Lilith quickly nodded back.

"She'll be fine," Dante said as he sat up. "Take her to safety. Anywhere will do. I'll find you."

"Right." Eryc lifted Lilith into his arms. He walked past Kyra without looking at her. Dante waited until Eryc descended the stairs from the entrance before acknowledging Kyra.

"Well?" Dante asked. Kyra sucked blood from her lip. Dante stood over her. "Is there something you would like to tell me?"

"What good will it do if I did?"

Dante snorted with contempt. "I am quickly wondering what the hell I've been doing for the past twenty years. I guess I was right about my previous impression. That you were a liar and a traitor."

"You don't understand. Things were complicated twenty years ago. Things are no different today."

"Yes," Dante conceded, "but this time there will be no happy ending. It's past time to kill this charade."

Dante ran towards the caryatid with his fist raised. He punched into the stone as hard as possible. It was enough to ruin the statue's foundation. Stone broke and crumbled to the floor. As Dante expected, two sword handles were exposed as the bottom of the statue fell apart. The cracks moved upwards. Large chunks of the statue fell away up to its waistline. Sparda and the Yamato clattered to the floor as their stone prison crumbled.

Dante picked up both swords. "Get up," he ordered Kyra without offering her help. "I'll let you explain yourself before you die."

"And afterwards?"

"That is not my concern."

(X)

An elderly woman opened the cellar door and turned on the light. "Hurry," she said to her grandson and granddaughter, "before you make a mess."

Her grandson, a young dark-haired man, and her granddaughter, a curly black-haired adolescent, carefully lifted a large black plastic bag and carried it to the cellar. "Watch your step," the grandmother urged as they all descended the staircase. When they reached the bottom, both youngsters tossed their burden onto a pile of black bags.

"That's the last one," the young woman said as she stretched. "The final corpse."

The young man coughed. "Just another day at the office."

"Stop it!" the grandmother ordered. "We've been through this before."

"The lecture or those monsters' murderous rampages?"

Before the grandmother could return with her own smart quip, they were all startled by the doorbell upstairs. The grandmother flicked her hand at the granddaughter. "Get that, Miriam."

Miriam grimaced. "Why do I have to do it?"

Her brother leaned over her. "Because I'm tired of doing it."

Miriam flashed him an obscene gesture as she climbed the stairs. The doorbell rang again when she reached the top. She ran to the door and opened it with more force than intended. She gasped when she saw a man standing in the rain with a woman in his arms. Then she calmed upon realizing she recognized him.

"I know you," she said. "You were at the funeral."

"Yeah," he said hurriedly. "My friend here needs a place to hide. Now. Please," he added as an afterthought. Miriam slowly stepped aside. He pushed past her just as her brother and grandmother were returning upstairs. He purposefully ignored them.

"Wait a minute!" the grandmother called as she chased him to the second floor. She waited for him to pick the nearest room and drop his charge onto the bed. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Who are you, and what do you want from us?"

"All I want are your patience and silence. At least until my friend finds his way here."

"Do you have anything to do with those creatures out there?"

The man laughed as if it were a stupid question. "Not willingly, if that's what you mean?"

The woman on the bed gasped and sat up as if she'd been stabbed by hot needles. She seized the man by his arms. "Where is my father!"

The man hushed her as he pushed her back down. "Just relax. He's taking care of some business with Kyra."

The woman released him. "There's something I have to tell him."

"I know. He has to tell you something, too."

The woman grimaced and turned away from him. He stood and placed a hand lightly against the old woman's arm. "We won't get in your way," he assured her, "and we won't get you into trouble. We just need time."

"Why should I oblige you?" The question was not a hostile demand, but a curious request.

"If you do," he promised, "you'll never have to deal with those creatures again. Ever."

(X)

Lilith lay in feverish spurts of sleep and dreams. Miriam kept a water basin in the room to clean off the blood that kept mysteriously appearing from Lilith's eyes. "I've never seen the likes of it," she heard Mirian say several times. "That girl must be some sort of devil." Rather than correct her, Lilith simply kept her eyes closed and waited.

Some hours later into the night, Lilith awoke fully to a touch on her forehead. She instantly felt herself regain what sanity was still eluding her. "What took you so long?"

Dante pulled his hand away and leaned back in his chair. "Coming here, or finding you?"

Lilith sat up and swung her feet to the floor. "How long was I down there?"

"You were buried alive for three days."

Lilith leaned forward. "That's a long time to endure artificial death. I saw depths of heaven and hell I didn't know existed. And everything in between."

"That's nice, but there is something I have to tell you."

"Let me go first." Lilith slowly stood and tested her balance. When she was sure she wouldn't fall, she took a step towards the window. Dante offered no help as she struggled to reach the window; if he had, she would have refused it anyway. When she finally reached it, she leaned against the wall.

"You were saying?" Dante asked.

"About Kaliel," she said. "He was sucking my energy to extend his own life. Now that I'm free and regaining strength, he'll notice he's getting weaker."

"I know. Those creatures that attack the city take people away to feed him. Some of them he eats literally. The ones that he dries out are all buried in that cathedral, like you were."

"I don't believe he's doing it simply from a fear of death." Lilith stretched on her legs.

"Revenge," Dante offered. "They skewered him as a child, and he's torturing them to preserve his life."

Dante felt a bit of intrigue when Lilith shook her head. "That's what the people believe, but that story, though true, is misleading. I learned something very disturbing while I was in that coffin. I saw all kinds of ugly things invading my brain."

"Like what?"

"Don't you ever wonder about those creatures that attacked us over the sea? That attack this island? Don't you want to know why they even care about Kaliel?"

"He said their lives depend on his."

"But why?"

Dante leaned forward in his chair. "What did you see?"

"They're tulpas."

Dante shrugged. "What does that mean?"

"It's a Tibetan concept." The new excitement Lilith felt caused her to return to the bed and sit on its edge. "It's like magic. If a group of people, or even a single person for that matter, believe in something powerfully enough, the very energy of that thought can make it real. This could explain any number of things on this planet, like Nessie or Yeti. Imagine, if you will, that thousands of years ago, Asian and Siberian folk psychically created the Alma or the Yeti, then when they crossed the Bering Strait into North America, they brought it with them. As cultures changed, it became Bigfoot, or Wendigo. Maybe even the Nuahli or Chupacabra." Lilith shrugged. "It's a simple idea that makes itself very complicated."

"Fascinating. In other words?"

"A powerful enough belief can turn fantasy into reality. Those creatures on this island exist because Kaliel thought them into existence. That's why they're so diligent in keeping him alive. If he dies, they cease to exist."

"That does explain one thing," Dante said, "but Kyra said that if I were to kill Kaliel, then everyone else on the island would also die."

To Dante's unease, Lilith nodded. "She spoke the truth. I saw something, a vision, of when Kaliel almost died as a child. There was a violent earthquake that day. If Kaliel's entire family had died, this island would have dropped into the sea."

"Why?"

"This island, the very ground these people walk on, is also a tulpa."

Dante's expression betrayed his surprise. "That explains it," he whispered to himself.

"Explains what?"

"Why Kyra saved him. He was the only one alive, and she took him down because she knew he had to keep the belief in the island's existence going."

Lilith nodded. "This island has been a family heirloom for millenia. Every member of the family was trained in continuing the island, so to speak. Since Kaliel is the last, if he dies, everyone will drop into the sea with nowhere to go."

Dante leaned forward and propped his chin against his palm. "Damn!"

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Not just that." Dante looked up at Lilith. "Kaliel has a brazen bull." Lilith winced at the mention of it. "I was with him during some executions yesterday," Dante continued. "Before he ordered the last person into it, the man looked up at us and said that the son of Sparda would doom the people. If I kill Kaliel, the island is destroyed. If I don't, nothing changes."

"How do you know he was talking about you? Everyone here thinks that is Kaliel."

"Not anymore. Some people, anyway, saw me walking around with the swords. I found them in the cathedral. Some of them probably have it figured out."

Lilith wrung her hands. "What do we do?"

"Believe it or not, I have no idea."

"How can Kyra live with herself? Letting this guy live. I'm sure someone else could take care of the island."

Lilith noticed how Dante looked away when she mentioned Kyra. "You wanted to tell me something?"

"Perfect timing. It's about Kyra, though you probably already know that."

"I had a hunch. What did she do?"

"It's not what she did. It's whom she is? Do you remember when we first arrived, and Kyra acted as if she knew you?"

"I guessed that she did," Lilith said. "How?"

"She's known about you since before you were born. She's your mother's sister."


	9. The Last Hope

The Last Hope

Lilith stared at her father as a million images of murder flashed through her mind. Without saying a single word, she slipped from the bed and slowly made her way towards the bedroom door. She stood with her back towards Dante as he stood to face her.

"I know exactly what you're considering," he said. "Don't think I won't try to stop you."

"You won't."

Lilith extended her hand to her side. The door opened itself. Lilith stood just a few seconds longer before charging down the staircase. Dante let her get ahead a few steps before walking after her. He took the time to close the door before nonchalantly following her downstairs. When he reached the bottom, she was already at the front door. He whistled to catch her attention.

Lilith pulled her hand from the doorknob. She glared at him over her shoulder. Kyra, who was sitting in the adjacent room with the others, blindly found her way towards them. She leaned against the doorpost with Eryc at her shoulder.

"Whatever it is," Kyra said, "let it go. It's not worth what you plan to do."

Lilith turned her glare to Kyra. "You stay out of this. You have no right protecting Kaliel."

"I don't understand."

"You lie!"

"Lilith!" Dante suddenly called. She turned to face him completely. "You said so yourself what would happen if he died."

"That is suddenly irrelevant. If you want to lecture someone, why not lecture Kyra for her role in all this?"

Dante saw Kyra tense up in his peripheral vision. "Why?"

"She's been playing you, Dad. She doesn't know what she wants. There are other things I saw while she let me go insane in a living grave. She's been lying to everybody, even Kaliel. I'll be doing these people a favor."

Recurring thoughts that Dante tried to ignore flashed through his mind. His eyes remained on Lilith. "Kyra," he said, "come here."

Kyra tried to back away, but Eryc was standing behind her. "Kyra," Dante repeated in a firmer voice.

"You can't boss me around," Kyra said with unexpected vehemence. "Just go and do what you have to do!"

"No!" Lilith insisted. "You won't get away with hiding in the shadows when something goes wrong. Not this time!" Lilith spun and yanked the front door open. She was greeted by a powerful gust and the too familiar sound of high pitched screeching. A glance revealed another horde of tulpas razing the city.

"He knows," Kyra said. "He's losing strength because you're free, and he's trying to make up for it with a premature Blood Feast."

Lilith took one step towards the door before Dante call her name. She stopped in midstride. "What about the locals?" he asked.

Lilith didn't let herself think of an answer. She stepped onto the porch and closed the door. Dante subconsciously held his hand out to Kyra. As if she had seen it, she held her own hand to him. He took it and pulled her forward.

"What was Lilith talking about?" he asked.

Kyra shrugged. "I don't know."

Dante was silent in thought. "Kyra," he suddenly asked, "after you rescued Kaliel from his little accident all those years ago, did you know what type of person he'd become?"

Kyra was slow to answer. "Yes."

"If you couldn't kill him, given the nature of the island's existance, why didn't you try to relocate the natives? Why didn't you try to find another way to separate them from him?"

Kyra was slower to speak. Dante squeezed her hand to force a response. She resisted for about a second. "I couldn't!" she finally answered.

"Why not?" This time Dante didn't wait to squeeze her hand again.

"I didn't want to be alone," she said while fighting tears.

"Be alone?" Eryc asked behind her. "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you what she means," Dante said as he released her. "I suspected as much, but Lilith confirmed it in my mind before she left. Kyra has been playing both sides of the field, and she doesn't even care to acknowledge why." Dante looked over Kyra's shoulder towards Eryc. "Kyra is like the others."

Eryc shrugged. "The others? What others?"

"The tulpas. Those creatures out there. Kyra's life is partially dependent on Kaliel's. If he dies, he takes her with him, as well as this island."

Eryc folded his arms and leaned against the doorpost. "How the hell did that happen?"

Kyra realized the question was directed at her. "You seem to have figured it out," she said to Dante. "Why don't you tell him?"

"I can't," Dante said. "That part I don't know. What happened? Were you sick?"

Kyra turned slightly away from him. "I was dying from an illness I've been suffering since before we even met. It just wasn't obvious at the time. Not even to me. Kaliel offered me an alternative as payment for caring for him. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Well, if my daughter gets her way, you don't have long to live. What are we going to do about that?"

(X)

Lilith completely ignored the surrounding chaos as she followed her instincts to the outskirts of the city. Flying montrosities and frightened locals were oblivious to her. She maintained a casual pace as she left the small urban area and continued towards where she knew Kaliel was waiting for her. A drop of rain fell against her shoulder. She did not realize it froze against her skin. Her breath condensed and floated away.

With each step, she felt her stolen power seep back into her body. On a whim, as soon as she took a single step beyond the final house (or what was left among its smoldering embers) she activated her devil trigger. The transformation felt slower than usual, but it was completed with a euphoric surge. She quickly spread her wings, three vespertilian pairs working as one, to flick away rain. She inhaled deeply before finally taking to the air.

(X)

"Me," Eryc said.

Kyra and Dante turned towards him as if they had not understood what he said. "Repeat that?" Dante said.

"Me," Eryc said. "I can do something about it."

"What do you mean?" Kyra asked.

Eryc took Kyra's hand and pulled her back towards the adjacent room. "How quickly could you teach me this tulpa thing? Could you give this island to me instead?"

Kyra gasped and held her breath before answering. "Are you serious?"

"As a tax audit."

"I, I don't know."

"Can you try?"

Kyra backed away a short distance. "Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do? What you will have to do?"

Eryc raised his eyes to Dante as if to get permission. Instead, Dante looked away. "Yes," Eryc finally said. "If it will buy this island extra time, then teach me. As fast as you possibly can. As if your life depended on it."

"Because it does," Dante said. He turned and headed for the exit. "I'll try to keep you alive as long as possible."

Kyra and Eryc waited for Dante to exit and close the door. Kyra took Eryc's hand. "You'd better sit down to conserve your strength."

Still holding hands, Kyra and Eryc lowered to the floor and folded their legs. "Relax," Kyra instructed, "and prepare to concentrate."


	10. Ultimate Decision

Ultimate Decision

Lilith flew and glided to the shoreline several kilometers away before she began to feel unusually fatigued. She dropped to a stone walkway and reverted to human form. She then glanced around to see where she had landed. She realized she was standing at the top of a sloping town. The stone walkway snaked through the village below. The village was decently large, which made the fact that it was completely empty much more disturbing. The only sound was the ocean on the other side of the village.

Lilith caught the faint scent of old blood. She quickly spun around to face the cathedral at the top of the village. It was much smaller than the one she was buried in for three days, but it was still imposing in its own right. A series of gargoyles hung over the side. Each had three forked tongues protruding from their mouths. Not surprisingly, they were like several of the tulpas.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Lilith did not turn around, but she lowered her eyes. "Yes, it really is."

Lilith resisted the urge to strike Kaliel when he placed a hand onto her shoulder. "You know," he said, "we can end this all, right now. All you have to do is leave."

Lilith balled her hands into fists. "You know I can't do that."

"You know what will happen if you kill me."

"I don't care. I'll still kill you."

Kaliel laughed as if he heard a bad joke. "Did you know? I'm only a few years older than you, but not as naive. Yet, I've been doing this for centuries. My family had a gift other than sustaining this island." Lilith allowed him to place both hands against her arms. "We had the power to reincarnate ourselves," he continued. "The same souls recycled themselves within a few generations, each stronger than the one before. But now that I'm the last of my family, and I have no children, there is no one who will be able to fix your mistake."

Lilith pivoted and planted her hand around Kaliel's throat. "I would rather they all die, than let them live like this!"

"Are you sure?" Kaliel asked defiantly with a weak raspy voice. "I think it's more personal than that."

Before Lilith could respond, Kaliel swung his arm towards her. A powerful hot blast knocked Lilith into the air. She slammed into the cathedral and slid to the ground. Kaliel stepped back and touched his neck where Lilith's nails had been. He felt a stinging sensation and some blood.

Lilith jumped to her feet quickly and charged at Kaliel. In a blur, Kaliel dodged to the side and rushed through the cathedral doors behind her. She turned and walked after Kaliel into the cathedral. He was standing on the altar with a large sword in hand. The blade was made of jagged bone. The hilt was a series of tiny skulls attached to each other. He raised it as if to salute her.

"A new toy?" Lilith suggested.

"Not really. This has been sitting here since I was a child in this lifetime. I used it to save myself during my first Blood Feast."

"This village," Lilith realized. "That's why it's empty. You ate them."

Kaliel leaned forward as if to bow. Instead, he raised the sword and charged at her. Lilith leapt into the air to meet him halfway. With her forward foot, she kicked the sword aside, but Kaliel did not let go. Then she spun in midair and planted her other foot into his chest. Kaliel flew backwards but landed on his feet a short distance away. He had barely touched the floor before running towards her again.

Lilith raised her right hand to ward the blow. She slapped his arm aside as he swung the sword towards her. He dodged to the side again, spun, and grazed her neck. Fiery pain blasted through her neck as she felt the skin open. She staggered away a few steps before Kaliel was on her again. She ducked in time and sent him flying with a well placed roundhouse kick to his chin. She then straightened and slapped the sword from Kaliel. It landed blade down on a nearby pew.

Kaliel recovered quickly and spat blood onto the floor. Lilith sprinted with one hand raised. Arcs of lightning flashed across her arm as she swung at him. He crouched and mirrored the move. Before Lilith could deliver the blow, Kaliel struck her in the chest with both palms. A powerful burst of lightning blasted Lilith across the room. The vibration caused some stone to shake loose from the ceiling. Lilith landed on her feet and charged him again. She thought she saw light flashing in Kaliel's palms. The two met in the middle aisle and slammed their palms against each other's. They clamped their fingers together and pushed against each other in a test of strength.

Kaliel felt his feet sliding backwards as Lilith began to overpower him. He dropped to one knee. A series of spikes suddenly emerged along Lilith's forearms. Kaliel leaned back and pulled one hand free. There was another burst of lightning as he swung at her again. Lilith flew backwards and landed with her feet braced against the wall. A few quiet seconds passed before either of them realized what happened. Lilith was stuck to the wall like a fly. Lilith's hair flew around her as she summoned more power. Her body was engulfed in flames as she triggered her demonic form. Then she launched herself from the wall as a ball of fire.

Kaliel vaulted into the air. Lilith passed under him and rebounded off the wall. She chased him to the bone sword in the pew. Kaliel snatched the sword and leapt behind a bench. Lilith smashed through it. Wood and upholstery scattered as the bench was obliterated. The flames died as she stood to look around. The bench lay in smoldering ruins at her feet. She returned to human form. Kaliel was nowhere to be found.

"Looking for me?" Kaliel called from the other side of the cathedral. "I still have some of your power. You'll never overcome me as long as I have it."

"We'll see about that."

"Oh really?" Kaliel pointed the bone sword towards her. "Do you dare?"

"Do you?"

As if in answer to her question, Kaliel jumped at her. Lilith waited until the last possible minute to dodge. She spun out of the way and reached out to snatch the sword from him. When she grabbed his hand, a strap of slimy tulpa flesh whipped out from his wrist. It wrapped itself around her arm and yanked her forward. Kaliel reached out to strike her, but a split second before he could, Lilith smashed her foot into his chest.

The two went back and forth for several minutes. Kaliel would use the tulpa flesh strap to pull Lilith forward, and she would ward off an attack with one of her own. In the final bout, she managed to kick the sword out of Kaliel's hand. She caught it in midair. An oppressive energy burst from the hilt into her body, but she refused to let it go.

Kaliel noticed her stumbling. He pulled the tulpa flesh taut. "Having trouble?"

Lilith straightened. "This sword. It's unholy."

Kaliel chuckled. "Who are you, of all people, to judge something as unholy? Your grandfather used to be a minion of hell."

"Used to. He wised up." Lilith raised her bound arm. "Besides, it's the sword's heart that is unholy, not the sword itself."

Lilith spun on the balls of her feet and swung the sword. It sliced the tulpa flesh easily. Lilith then aimed the sword for Kaliel. His hand snatched the blade before it reached his face. Blood spurted from the wound, but he clenched the blade tightly. He yanked the sword from Lilith and tossed it to the floor. The tulpa flesh melted off their arms.

"Happy?" Kaliel asked.

"Shut up." Lilith rushed him again. Kaliel raised a hand with flames leaping from his palm. He balled it into a flaming fist and aimed for her face. She swiped it aside to deliver her own punch. She aimed for his face, only to punch empty air. In a blink, Kaliel zipped backwards out of reach.

"You can do better than that," Kaliel taunted.

Flashes of lightning burst from between Lilith's fingers. "Consider it done." She blasted a large hole into the cathedral wall. Kaliel disappeared behind a pillar to avoid the blast. Lilith circled around the other side to catch him. He swung for her face, but she grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. She delivered a roundhouse kick to his chin again, which tossed him across the room. She jumped after him and began to pummel and kick him repeatedly. He made no successful effort to defend himself. He quickly realized Lilith was still growing stronger while he was getting weaker.

Lilith finished off the beating with a final kick to the side of Kaliel's face. He landed against the altar on the spot where his bone sword appeared. Lilith saw his eyes wander towards the sword on the floor. They both raced to reach it again. Kaliel got to it in time to kick it out of Lilith's reach. The blade slashed the tips of her fingers as it slid across the room. Covered in blood from being beaten, Kaliel raced after the sword with amazing new strength and speed. Lilith jumped to her feet to chase him. As soon as Kaliel grabbed the sword, he raised it to point the blade at Lilith. She stopped and crouched as if preparing for an attack.

"Not this time," Kaliel said. "This sword will decide our fates." He spat more blood onto the floor.

Lilith could not explain why Kaliel's words made her uneasy. "That may be, but it doesn't necessarily prove good for you."

Lilith waited as Kaliel continued pointing the sword at her. Then, without warning, he vaulted against the wall. Lilith moved to follow, but he flew up to the ceiling. Lilith watched in amazed silence as Kaliel used the sword to blast through the ceiling. She jumped out of the way as the debris fell. An orange ray of fading sunlight shone through the hole. She watched his silhouette climb through the hole and disappear.

Lilith tilted her head as if listening for the direction of Kaliel's movement. Then she crouched again and jumped through the hole in the ceiling. As soon as her feet touched the roof, she spun to find Kaliel standing on the edge. She ran for him with lightning flashing. Kaliel waited for her to reach him before making his move. Lilith threw herself at him as he spun to swing the sword. He knew something was wrong the moment he plunged it through her abdomen. Her hand swung around to hit the blade tip protruding from her back. It broke cleanly. She snatched it with her other hand and plunged it into Kaliel's heart.

Lilith and Kaliel stared at each other. Lilith smirked at him. "I guess this sword really will decide the outcome. Just not the way you thought."

Kaliel pulled what was left of the sword free and stepped back. He tried to pull the bone blade tip from his chest, but it snagged on the flesh and would not budge. Lilith stumbled as she grew weak from the wound, but she was still smiling.

"Go ahead," she taunted. "Make your move."

Kaliel spat blood onto the roof. "Do you want me to kill you?"

Lilith held her hand up as if inviting him. "You can't, but I really want you to try."

Kaliel scowled as if she had insulted his masculinity. He raised the broken sword over his shoulder and charged at her. Lilith made no effort to defend herself.


	11. Death Knoll

Death Knoll

The tulpas razing the city were oblivious to Dante as he stepped into the street. The sword Sparda felt unnaturally hot against his palm. As if against his will, he remained perfectly still with his back to the house until a pack of gargoyles finally noticed him. Five of them landed in a circle around him. Dante finally brought Sparda to bear. The sword's heat increased, but he easily ignored it. Before any gargoyle could move against him, he swung the sword. He spun with the force of the swing. The tip slashed through the first two before the other three jumped back out of reach.

Ten more fell from the sky. The heat radiated up Dante's arm as he quickly stared down the gargoyles. He did not notice the lightning flashing between his wrist and elbow. With an earsplitting battlecry, he charged into the fray. His brain was unaware of what he was doing. He fought, swung, and slashed as if his body worked independently of his mind. Black oozing flesh and blood splashed in every direction as Sparda cleaved everything in its path. When the entire pack of gargoyles finally fell over, Dante emerged unscathed. There was no blood on him.

He raised his eyes to watch more creatures approach. There were several of them staring back at him. He watched some of them gather together as if planning something in a huddle. The heat in his arm quickly spread throughout the rest of his body. It was then Dante realized something was amiss. Rather than wait for the tulpas to finish whatever they were doing, he ran headlong towards them.

Three of them converged into a single mass of black goo. Frustrated, Dante screamed like a madman. None of the creatures paid him attention. He felt the sword emit a blistering heat, but his hand clung to it even tighter. He smelled smoldering leather. His brain processed this in a split second before he engaged in another battle charge. One of the remaining tulpas met him halfway, but before the tulpa could do anything, Dante cleaved it in half with one mighty swing. It was then he realized Sparda was literally engulfed in a bright red flame from hilt to tip.

More tulpas quickly piled onto the growing mass. The others jumped at Dante as if to prevent him from reaching it. He easily plowed through them. A shortlived trail of fire was left in the air with each swing. The black mass instantly took on the form of a giant humanoid, about twice Dante's height. Dante skidded to a stop as a pair of wings emerged from the creature's shoulders. A single powerful flap propelled it into the air. The wind generated knocked down most things and people who were unfortunate enough to be in its path.

Dante plunged Sparda into the ground. The flame emitted a bright white flash. This time the heat was enough to make Dante cringe, but he maintained his grip on the hilt. When the light died, the flames kicked up a bit in the wind. Dante waited until the giant creature flew a distance before pulling the sword free. He knew from the wind direction alone that the creature was headed in the same direction Lilith left to confront Kaliel. Dante leaped into the air. He swung and released Sparda towards the creature's neck. A flaming scythe flew like a boomerang for its target. Sensing the danger, the creature stopped to turn. It held up an enormous hand as if to slap the sword aside. Instead, Sparda easily slashed through the skin and continued through the creature's chest.

Though it passed through without severing anything, Sparda left blazing streaks through the wounds. It circled around and returned to Dante before his feet hit the ground. As if in slow motion, Dante held out his hand, still tingling from the flames, to catch Sparda. A few extra sparks sputtered when he seized the hilt. When he landed, the flames leapt up his hand. The pain lasted for a split second. When it was over, his clothes darkened until they were completely black. His hair instantly grew to his shoulders. Black tribal designs appeared on his skin. His eyes became an eerie silver, almost white. Dante knew something strange was happening. All of this occurred without the aid of his devil trigger.

The flying creature overshadowed Dante on the ground. The markings on his skin left a minute burning sensation which was negligible compared to the burning sword.

"I'll give you one minute!" he yelled into the air.

The creature took a few more flaps away before raising its hand. A glowing red sphere formed in the palm. Dante was already on the move. He dashed out of the way in time to avoid the sphere as it crashed into the ground. The resulting shockway created fissures in the concrete.

"On second thought, time's up." Dante activated his devil trigger and flew at the creature. He swung for the creature, but it maintained a safe distance of reach. The flames on the sword shot out. The edge of its right wing was scorched. The creature shrieked. Without realizing what he was doing, Dante summoned energy into his hand and forced it through the sword. He plunged the flaming blade towards the creature, but it backed out of reach, but the flames scorched it again. Dante tossed Sparda at the creature again. When the sword passed through, a massive amount of blood shot from the wound.

Dante flew through the fountain of blood. He planted both hands around the creature's head and squeezed as hard as possible. He placed a foot against the creature's chest and yanked. He heard its neck snap, but it managed to pull free of his grip. Its head was twisted at an unnatural angle.

Without looking, Dante reached out to catch Sparda on its return trip. The flames were brighter and hotter than before. Dante chased the creature until he was nearly on top of it. It flapped its wings to maintain altitude, but it was too confused and in too much pain to do anything else. Dante turned Sparda downwards and plunged it through the creature's chest. The creature's body went into spasms as if the three tulpas within it were fighting to break free. Lines of fire emanated from the sword through the creature's body. The flames sputtered and died as Dante pulled Sparda free in time to jump back and watch the creature plummet to the ground. Dante watched in disguised shock as the creature crashed through the roof of a house. He returned to human form and dropped into the flying debris. The tribal markings disappeared, and his eyes returned to their original color.

The dust settled quickly. The ooze from the creature's form splattered across the rubble and scattered as if in fear for its life. Dante ignored it. His eyes were focused on a woman's bloody hand protruding from under the debris. Though the hand was the only thing he could see, he knew whose hand it was. He kicked the debris aside to expose her face. Kyra's body lay on its back. Her eyes were open, but he knew they were not looking at anything. He forced himself to step over the body to sift through more rubble. He found Eryc lying close beside her. Eryc's neck had been partially severed by a piece of metal debris.

Dante was not sure how long he stared at what was left of Eryc and Kyra. He walked around their crushed bodies until he found the Yamato unscratched. He squeezed the hilt of the Yamato as he lifted it from the debris. Now that Eryc and Kyra were dead, the island had no hope once Kaliel died. That train of thought suddenly caused Dante to panic. For a moment his brain battled between letting Kaliel die, and saving the people himself, though he knew they no longer had any true hope of salvation. Dante groaned as if in pain before transforming again. He flew off in the direction he knew Lilith and Kaliel would be.

(X)

Dante found his daughter lying on the stone walkway leading to a cathedral of a dead village. It was almost a miniature version of the one she had been buried in. A drying pool of blood spread from a gaping wound in her torso. Her eyes turned towards him as if to indicate she was still alive, but her breaths were strong enough to see her chest moving. Dante rolled his eyes as he kneeled and propped her into a sitting position.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I did what I had to. I'm severing the bond." She stopped to take another breath. She coughed a mouthful of blood but somehow managed to laugh. "He has no idea what's happening."

"The bond? You mean, in the grave."

Lilith did not register what he said, but she answered anyway. "If one of us doesn't die, I'll be stuck with him forever." Her voice grew weak as she began slipping away.

Not sure what to do, Dante picked her up and walked into the cathedral. There was something wrong with the place. He could sense death in every piece of stone and wood used to construct it. He carefully placed Lilith onto the altar, placed the Yamato beside her, and stepped back. He raised his hand as if to wipe his face, but his hand stopped short when he noticed fresh blood on his glove. Lilith's wound had started bleeding again. This time it dripped over the altar as if part of a morbid human sacrifice.

Dante leaned over her as his paternal instincts went into overload. He ignored the blood his hand was leaving in her hair. "That was a damned foolish thing you did."

"Do you expect me to just kill him instead?" There was an obvious edge of sarcasm, even bitterness, in Lilith's voice. Dante straightened. He turned his head aside as if listening for something. Lilith did not notice. "It's either him or me."

"She's right about that," Kaliel responded from the entrance of the cathedral. Dante turned completely to face him. Kaliel staggered to the nearest pew to sit down. The broken blade was still in the chest wound. "And you know what will happen if it's me."

"Enough of that bullshit," Dante demanded.

Kaliel tossed the bone sword aside. "Don't think I don't know about what Kyra tried to do. About teaching someone else to take my place. Lo and behold, in trying to protect her, your own actions got her killed. Justice is poetic."

"Indeed it is." Dante fought the urge to run to Kaliel and gouge his eyes out. He settled for scowling instead.

Kaliel lowered his eyes to Lilith. She looked his way long enough for him to see more blood spill from her mouth. She looked back towards the ceiling. "You know, she showed me what she could do. It was pretty impressive, given she wasn't at 100 percent. Maybe not even half that."

"Don't think you've won yet."

"Does it matter?" Kaliel leaned forward and wiped his own blood from his mouth. "Lilith or the island? One life for tens of thousands? Which one of us do you think will die first?"

Kaliel looked up in time to see Dante's scowl deepen. Dante opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped short when he felt the tale-tell tingling in his eyes. He continued staring at Kaliel until the first tear of Sparda's Sorrow broke free. A sudden sense of dread overcame him. He turned back towards the altar to check on Lilith. She was staring straight up at the ceiling as before, but he knew something was wrong. The essence of death he sensed within the cathedral was growing stronger. The bleeding had stopped, but Lilith's chest no longer moved with each breath. Dante knew in that instant that Lilith had died.

Kaliel's weak laughter broke the silence. "What do you know? She beat me to it."

"Don't count on it." Dante did not realize he said it until after he finished it. Not knowing what else to do, he grabbed Lilith by her shoulders and gave her body a single hard shake. "You have to come back. It's over."

Kaliel glanced at the shard of bone blade in his chest. He felt his bond to Lilith break and dissipate. Her remaining power leaked from his body. "That's it," he said as if confirming a diagnosis. "She's completely gone."

Dante looked aside as if preparing to retort. Instead, he gave Lilith's body another hearty shake. Her head flopped around as if she were a doll. He shook her a few more times before deciding it was futile.

"What exactly are you trying to accomplish up there?" Kaliel asked. "The island is safe."

"To hell with you! And this island!" Dante snatched Sparda and pointed it at Kaliel. "I'd rather kill you myself now!"

Kaliel released the loudest laugh his pain would allow. He grabbed the pew in front of him and used it for support as he stood. "Do you want the islanders' blood on your hands, too? By all means, try it."

Dante felt the bloody tears drip down his chin and neck. He lowered the sword and leaned against the altar. "What's the point? You and I have danced this dance before. Quite frankly I'm sick of it. And you. And this island. To hell with all of you."

"Those are not the words of a hero."

"I never claimed nor acknowledged being one."

"Fair enough." Kaliel tossed his bone sword aside. "You're just a killer for hire. Must have been great with Lilith's friends."

Kaliel was surprised when Dante laughed. "I was the class favorite." He wiped his own face with his clean glove and slapped his hands together in a prayer position. He rubbed them slowly together. Little arcs of lightning flashed between his fingers.

Kaliel raised his hand. "Just because I no longer have your daughter's power doesn't mean I don't have any of my own."

"In the end . . ."

Dante's thought was interrupted by Lilith moaning behind him. He stepped away from the altar as Lilith took one deep gasp. Both he and Kaliel watched her slowly sit up. The gaping wound had sealed itself without a single scar, but she was still obviously weak. She dangled her feet over the altar and dropped to the floor.

"In the end," she said to Kaliel, "it still comes down to you and me."


	12. Mutatis Mutandis

Mutatis Mutandis

Dante stood between Lilith and Kaliel, though he knew it was useless. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked Lilith.

She simply shrugged. "Doing what Kyra should have done years ago. Get out of the way."

"Think about what you're doing."

A flash of anger appeared across Lilith's face as if he had insulted her. "You would have killed him. This doesn't concern you, so move."

"You're not strong enough."

"It doesn't matter!" Kaliel called from the other side of the cathedral. "What can she do?"

"Move aside," Lilith said with more determination. "He's mine."

Dante did not move. "You can't fight him."

Lilith leaned against the altar. "Just move, Dad. Please." She raised her hand as glowing flames leapt up her forearm. "This is my fight."

"Are you willing to carry this burden?"

"I said move!" Lilith waved her free hand. An invisble force knocked Dante out of her way. He landed against a pillar and dropped to the floor. Before he could stand, Lilith had already launched a wave of fire towards Kaliel.

Kaliel raised his hand to return the gesture. A stream of flame flew from his palm and collided with Lilith's. She clenched her teeth as she strained to overpower him. Her other hand created another flame which she threw to reenforce the first one. Kaliel tried to block it with his free hand, but the flesh on his hand blistered and charred. He screamed and fell to the floor. Lilith spread her hands to kill the fire. Dante took a few quick steps towards her, but she extended her arm to hold him back.

"Don't interfere," she warned him. "It has to be this way."

"No, it doesn't. Let me do it."

"He didn't bury you alive for three days."

Kaliel pushed himself to his feet. His held his burned hand against his chest. "I can't believe you two are arguing over who gets to kill me. Don't I have a say in it?"

"As if you would let us."

"That's the point." He raised his uninjured hand. "I say neither of you will get that chance."

Dante remained silent and still as Lilith stepped towards Kaliel. She raised her arm and spread her fingers. A wavy blue light, like a transparent flame, came to life on her forearm. "It's time to kiss your ass goodbye."

"And the island? And the people on it?" Kaliel asked.

Lilith kept her arm raised, but she stood still as if contemplating what Kaliel's words. There was a second of doubt on her face.

"Think quickly," Kaliel said as if challenging her resolve. "You cannot afford to make a decision you will regret."

The look of doubt lasted for only another second before Lilith made up her mind. "Mutatis mutandis."

Kaliel understand what she meant immediately. Lilith threw the glowing blue flame. Kaliel retaliated with another fire assault of his own. The blue flame sailed through it without slowing down. Kaliel responded quickly by erecting an invisible barrier with his injured hand. Lilith's blue flame bounced off harmlessly.

A second blue flame instantly burst to life on Lilith's other hand. Kaliel's fire assault passed over her. Lilith clenched her teeth as she released the second wave of blue flame. This time it pierced Kaliel's barrier. He watched in shock as the rest of the flesh burned completely off the bone. Then the bone slowly began to incinerate.

Lilith screamed as she reenforced the blue flames. Dante watched with mixed disgust and resolution as Kaliel's flesh melted from his body. Kaliel took several steps through the flames, even as he clothes burned off him. Lilith matched him step for step. As they grew closer, the flames intensified. Lilith got a close up of what was left of Kaliel's face before making her final move.

"This is the end!" she screamed as she summoned more energy. With a final hefty push, both she and Kaliel were engulfed in a massive explosion of blue fire.

Dante covered his eyes out of habit. The shockwave from the blast knocked every pillar down and blew out the windows. The entire cathedral shook as its supports crumbled to the floor. Chunks of stone fell from above to reveal ominous clouds. Dante avoided one in time to see Lilith standing alone in the center of the cathedral. She held her towards the altar without looking. The Yamato flew from the altar and landed in Lilith's hand. She stepped towards what was left of Kaliel's body. A smoldering pile of ashes and charred remains lay at her feet. Lilith raised the Yamato as if to plunge it into the ashes. Dante raced to her side and caught her arm. She did not resist.

"Haven't you done enough?" Dante asked. He feared she would misinterpret the question, but she simply shrugged. He released her arm. "We'd better leave now."

Before Lilith could make a smartass remark, the ground rumbled. It was strong enough to shake the most of what was left of the cathedral to the foundation. There was another rumble in the clouds. Lilith opened her palm to catch the rain. She could smell it, but there was something wrong with the odor, as if it were contaminated. The first drop of water that fell into her palm bubbled like acid against her skin. Lilith clenched her teeth as the clouds suddenly released a barrage of poisoned rain.

"This is it," Dante said. "Let's go." He transformed without waiting for Lilith to respond. She remained rooted where she was as she felt the ground shatter. "Lilith!"

She slowly looked up as her father hovered over her. A quick flap of his wings sent several droplets of rain into the air. The water hissed in midair. Lilith blinked against the noxious rain. "Now is not the time!" Dante called to her.

She waited as if trying to make a difficult decision. Then she transformed, but she took her time taking to the air. As soon as her feet left the floor, a great fissure ripped through the earth under the cathedral. She did not look down. She tuned out the faint screams of terror in the background. Lilith flew past Dante towards the ocean. She watched rogue waves roll across the water as the island continued its fatal plunge into the ocean.

(X)

Lilith stared straight up at the stars as she stretched out on the rooftop. She had not been home for an hour, but she was uncomfortable indoors this night. The warm early autumn air stirred slightly. Lilith inhaled deeply before sitting up.

"I know you're down there," she said. "You might as well come up."

Dante peered over the edge of the roof before pulling himself up. "You are no fun." Lilith did not even smile. Dante crawled to a spot beside her and folded his legs. "What are you thinking?"

Lilith sighed and copied her father's movements. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Don't feel guilty about it now. It's over. And I'm not trivialzing it."

"That's easy for you to say. You didn't kill those people. I don't want to get into a battle of semantics, so don't tell me I didn't kill them either."

Dante propped his chin against his palm. "I used to be like you."

"Why do I find that difficult to believe?"

"Can you at least pretend to listen to what I'm preparing to tell you?"

Lilith responded by simply scowling, but she refused to look his way. "Why didn't you tell me about Kyra?"

"I did tell you about Kyra."

Lilith let herself relax. A cool breeze carried the scent of imminent rain. "I mean before I was buried alive for three days. If I have other living relatives, outside of Eva's family, shouldn't you feel obligated to tell me?"

"When Kyra and I parted ways the first time, we did so on bad terms. I spent many months hating that woman."

"Why? What did she do? Or not do?"

Dante was silent as his mind raced to find the proper words. "It's difficult to explain."

"I don't believe that either."

Dante huffed. Lilith fought the urge to laugh at his discomfort. "Well?" she asked.

Dante's eyes focused on the skyline just above the trees. "The first time I went to your mother's home realm, Kyra was the one who nagged me into bringing your mother back to Earth. There was a lot of bad blood between Kyra and me until I slept with her sister."

Lilith nearly choked trying to avoiding laughing out loud. Dante continued without missing a beat. "I didn't know at the time Deanna was the empress. She used a decoy. It was soon after that incident I discovered Deanna was the monarch. By then the place was being overrun by demons. Kyra nagged me into bringing Deanna to Earth with me. I said no."

Lilith shrugged. "What changed your mind?"

"Eventually, when push came to shove, Deanna followed me and nagged me herself. She was very persistent until the day she died. Both times."

"I'll leave it at that, then. Kyra couldn't have been a terrible person, though she had poor decision making skills. At least she though she was doing good for someone."

Dante detected more in those words than Lilith said. "What does that really mean?"

Lilith subconsciously began tapping her thumbs together. "I did kill them, whether you care to acknowlege it."

Dante sighed and pressed his palm against the crown of her head. "I guess it's now or never. What's on your mind?"

"Killing people."

"Why? You've been killing people since you were a teenager. You've been wanting to kill since kindergarten."

Lilith knew he was leading her on, but she took the bait anyway. "I kill minions of evil and despair. There's a difference."

Dante pressed harder against her head. "It's easy to be detached when you kill something like that."

"I killed one," Lilith interrupted, "and he took tens of thousands of innocent people with him."

"They had no life. You know that. It's no easier than trying to kill your own brother. Or your son. Because their hearts were corrupted." Dante thought fleetingly about Vergil and the baby Deanna had named after his brother. It seemed to have happened ages ago. "Once it gets easy, then you have reason to worry." Dante ruffled Lilith's hair before letting her go.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I know you hate it."

Lilith scowled for a split second before letting a chuckle escape instead. She used her fingers to hold her mouth shut, but it was futile. Another breeze, followed by a crack of thunder, reminded them of the coming rain. The air was fresh and revitalizing. It was a complete contrast from the rain that fell when they fled the island. Lilith inhaled deeply.

"Are you heading indoors?" Dante asked.

"No," Lilith said softly. "A good clean rain never hurt anyone."


End file.
